Medical/Pharmaceuticals2017-08-18T02:58:38+08:00prnasia.comhttp://en.prnasia.com/story/2017-08-18T08:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185554-0.shtmlSINGAPORE, Aug. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fullerton Healthcare Corporation Limited ("Fullerton Health" or the "Group"), a leading provider of corporate healthcare solutions across Asia Pacific, today announced that it has acquired Healthscope's medical centre operations ("HMC"). HMC operates a network of medical centres across Australia, with a portfolio of 48 facilities comprising of 43 medical centres, four specialist skin clinics and one specialist breast diagnostic clinic.

HMC is one of the largest primary care operators in Australia with over 350 doctors, providing care to 1.8 million patients each year.

Dr Michael Tan, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Fullerton Health, commented, "I am thrilled to welcome the Healthscope medical centres team to join Fullerton Health today. This is an important acquisition for us, which reinforces our stated strategy of developing a strong presence in markets across the region, and specifically to broaden our network in Australia. Through this acquisition we will become the third largest primary care business in the country, and will be well positioned to support even more doctors and clinics."

Steven Harvey, Managing Director of Fullerton Health Australia, commented, "Fullerton is already one of the leading occupational health and primary care providers in Australia, and following the acquisition of Healthscope's medical centre business we will together operate the third largest primary care business in the country. The combination of focus and expertise coupled with international operations will help us to provide a greater range of services across Australia. Fullerton Health and HMC are highly complementary and our team are looking forward to working closely with HMC to deliver on the great potential that the combination of our two businesses offers."

SANTA FE, New Mexico, Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenEye Scientific Software, Inc., an innovative developer of molecular modeling and cheminformatics solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Pfizer Inc., to provide Orion, OpenEye's new cloud platform, to the company's Medicinal Sciences division. Orion will equip chemists with all of OpenEye's software, extensive tools for data visualization and communication, useful data sources and customizable, task-oriented workflows, all in a robust, scalable, cloud environment.

"We believe that Orion has the potential to revolutionize how computation is delivered to the pharmaceutical industry," said Dr. Anthony Nicholls, CEO and founder of OpenEye Scientific Software, Inc. "Orion marries the immense resource of cloud computing services, with our insights, science and tools from two decades of helping customers. It continues and expands our tradition of computing at scale, reliable, predictive science and facilitating local innovation. As an open, collaborative platform for both industry and academia we think it can enhance the drug discovery process."

OpenEye has built a reputation as a scientific leader in the field of molecular design based on two decades of delivering useful applications and programming toolkits. Our scientific approach has focused on the power of molecular 3D structure to inform and guide, in particular via the concept of shape similarity. We have changed industry perception of what is possible with the speed, robustness and scalability of our tools and have recently built these into a ground-up, cloud-native platform, Orion. Combining unlimited computation and storage with powerful tools for data sharing, visualization and analysis in an open development platform, Orion offers unprecedented capabilities for drug discovery and optimization. OpenEye Scientific is a privately held company headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, Cologne, Germany, Strasbourg, France and Tokyo, Japan. For further information on the company and its products, see www.eyesopen.com.

]]>2017-08-17T19:22:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185507-0.shtmlSHANGHAI and BEIJING, Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi Biologics (2269.HK), a global leading open-access biologics technology platform company offering end-to-end solutions for biologics discovery, development and manufacturing, and its Chinese partner Harbin Gloria Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd (002437.CN), today announced that an exclusive license to the anti-PD-1 antibody GLS-010 has been granted to Arcus Biosciences, a US-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative cancer immunotherapies.

Gloria contracted WuXi Biologics to discover and develop GLS-010, a novel anti-PD-1 antibody, using Ligand's transgenic rat platform OmniRat®. GLS-010 is currently being evaluated in cancer patients in phase I clinical studies in China. Arcus has licensed the exclusive development and commercialization rights of GLS-010 in North America, Europe, Japan and certain other territories.

Arcus plans on developing GLS-010 as a combination product with the other product candidates in its portfolio. Based on the terms of the agreement, Arcus will pay $18.5mm in upfront payments as well as development and regulatory milestones which could total up to $422.5mm for the development and approval of 11 products that include GLS-010 as a component. WuXi Biologics and its partner Gloria, through an existing agreement will also receive commercial milestones of up to $375mm which could result in aggregate payments from Arcus of $816mm. Arcus will pay tiered royalties that range from the high single-digits to low double-digits on net sales of GLS-010. In addition, WuXi Biologics and Arcus intend to enter into an exclusive 3-year agreement for the development of Arcus' biologics portfolio. WuXi Biologics also will be the exclusive manufacturer for GLS-010 in the licensed territories for a specified period of time.

"We are pleased that our integrated platform has enabled companies such as Gloria to enter into biologics with an exciting program. We are also excited to enter into this agreement to expedite biologics development to treat patients globally," commented Dr. Chris Chen, CEO and executive director of WuXi Biologics. "This new partnership continues to reinforce the value of our integrated service platform, the global quality WuXi Biologics commits to, and the success of our 'follow-the-molecule' strategy.

"We are thrilled to gain access to GLS-010 in our territories," commented Dr. Tim Sullivan, Vice President of Business Development at Arcus. "This molecule will enable us to fully exploit the potential of our other immuno-oncology agents for the benefit of patients. Working with WuXi Biologics also ensures high-quality clinical supply of our biologics, an essential operational component of our strategy to develop a series of novel and best-in-class combination therapies for the treatment of cancer."

"Gloria has recently been focusing its R&D research on biologics, especially in the immuno-oncology area. We hope our efforts can bring more innovative medicines into the Chinese market in order to fill unmet medical needs," said Mr. Hongbing Yang, Chief Executive Officer of Harbin Gloria Pharmaceuticals. "It is the first time that an antibody envisioned by Gloria has the potential to reach patients worldwide. We are extremely pleased that, with our development in China and Arcus' exclusive license in many other countries in the world, each working with WuXi, that GLS-010 may become available in both China and worldwide."

About GLS-010

GLS-010, also referred to as WBP3055, is an investigational fully human monoclonal antibody that belongs to a class of immuno-oncology agents known as immune checkpoint inhibitors. It is designed to bind to PD-1, a cell surface receptor that plays an important role in the downregulation of the immune system by preventing the activation of T-cells. Other anti-PD-1 antibodies have been approved by the US FDA in multiple cancer settings. It is estimated that more than 500 clinical trials are ongoing to continue to investigate this class of biologics for more than 20 different cancer indications.

About WuXi Biologics

WuXi Biologics is the only open-access biologics technology platform in the world offering end-to-end solutions to empower organizations to discover, develop and manufacture biologics from concept to commercial manufacturing. Our company history and achievements demonstrate our commitment to providing a truly ONE-stop service offering and value proposition to our global clients. For more information on WuXi Biologics, please visit: http://www.wuxibiologics.com.

About Harbin Gloria Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Gloria is a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company headquartered in Beijing. It is considered by analysts "the fastest growing pharma company in China". Gloria is also one of the most active deal makers among all the pharmaceutical companies nationwide. Gloria Pharmaceutical focuses on the following therapeutic areas: orthopaedics, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and oncology. For additional information, please visit www.gloria.cc.

The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 24, 2017 to discuss its financial performance and give a brief overview of the Company's recent developments, followed by a question and answer session. Interested parties can access the audio webcast through the Company's IR website at http://ir.chinacordbloodcorp.com. A replay of the webcast will be accessible two hours after the conference call and available for three weeks at the same URL as above. Listeners can also access the call by dialing 1-719-325-2213 or 1-866-564-2842, for US callers, or +852-3008-1527, for Hong Kong callers, access code: 2659383.

Please dial in ten minutes prior to the conference call to ensure proper connection, and be prepared to provide your name and company name to the operator.

Supplemental financial information referenced in the conference call and the first quarter of fiscal 2018 earnings press release will be available at http://www.chinacordbloodcorp.com, in the section titled "Investor Center/Press Release", after 4:16 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, and in the Company's Report on Form 6-K for the month of August 2017, available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

About China Cord Blood Corporation

China Cord Blood Corporation is the first and largest umbilical cord blood banking operator in China in terms of geographical coverage and the only cord blood banking operator with multiple licenses. Under current PRC government regulations, only one licensed cord blood banking operator is permitted to operate in each licensed region and no new licenses will be granted before 2020 in addition to the seven licenses authorized as of today. China Cord Blood Corporation provides cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing, and stem cell storage services. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.chinacordbloodcorp.com.

]]>2017-08-17T16:03:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185484-0.shtmlSAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The economic burden caused by critical illness is a challenging issue for all. As a leading innovator in China, Qingsongchou kept working on the solution of medical cost trend and had launched its first blockchain product, "Qingsongchou Mutual Plan" in 2016. During the 1 year period, over 8 million people have joined the plan and a USD 15 million premium has been collected. Due to Qingsongchou's great contribution to the healthcare market, it was voted by CB Insights as one of "The 250 Most Promising, Private Fintech Companies From Around The World".

In this revolution of technology, blockchain was introduced to the world and Ethereum, and other new generations of blockchains will improve the system. Qingsongchou and its team keep exploring the application and the potential of blockchain. With their mature data model and rich experience in mutual market, Qingsongchou intends to overturn the current healthcare industry by building up a Health Mutual Society (HMS) on Ethereum.

On August 28th, the ICO (Initial Coin Offering) of HMC is going to be launched globally (for details, please visit the official website: www.hms.io)

Operation Mode of HMS

HMS will deliver affordable healthcare coverage by removing intermediate cost and separating the medical cost among members. Both individuals and organizations will be able to join the plan by depositing a certain amount of tokens. When a qualified policyholder is diagnosed with one of the specific illnesses on the predetermined list, s/he could upload the documents and file a claim. As long as the claim is approved by the elected notary organizations, a certain amount of token will be released as payout. Restricted by a smart contract, the operation of the system will be autonomous, efficient and transparent.

Advantages of HMS

Backing by Qingsongchou's rich experience in mutual market and its over 160 million registered users, HMS will be the most tangible ICO project compared with others.

Reducing the burden of healthcare by separating the cost among members.

Improving the efficiency and lowering the operation cost by decentralizing the system.

Breaking the barrier of regions and hedge the risk of globalization.

Generating an anti-inflation community product with huge growing potential.

There are a growing number of people who are looking for alternatives such as plastic surgery to have a V-line face shape, with experts saying that it is not necessary to take surgical procedures.

Experts say that face liposuction, a non-surgical procedure, can create a V-line without cutting the bones. If someone has a rounded face, it is known that liposuction of the cheek skin or double chin can be effective.

Jung Yeon Ho, the director of TL Plastic Surgery, said, "We use facial liposuction, which uses a fiber-type thin tube to treat the 1444nm wavelength laser directly into the fat layer to perform a power V contour to extract unnecessary fat," and, "This procedure is a non-surgical facial liposuction which is safe and has obtained the trademark right."

This procedure has the advantage of being able to simultaneously see the liposuction effect and the lifting effect by irradiating the dermal layer and the fascia layer (SMAS) in the skin with thermal stimulation. In addition, it regenerates collagen and completes elastic skin and the V-line facial shape after the procedure.

Dr. Jung said, "There are many cases in which surgery is completed without a great deal of concern andpatients are advised to find a hospital with an aftercare system after the procedure."

About TL Plastic Surgery

TL Plastic Surgery was established in Seoul in 2008 and is currently located in Gangnam. Nine full-time specialists with rich clinical experience in each field perform from diagnosis to surgery and provide differentiated medical services. In addition, only genuine and a standard quantity of medical equipment, Botox, filler, and lifting threads are used in procedures - TL Plastic Surgery puts the safety of patients as the top priority. Dr. Jung Yeon Ho of TL Plastic Surgery Anti-Aging Center strives to provide the ideal results for each person by implementing a 1:1 dedicated management system for lifting showing a high level of clinical experience through various cases.

HCC is the world's third leading cause of death due to cancer and the second for China. Globally, 60% of HCC is a result of chronic hepatitis B infection, for the case of China, it is more than 90%. There are 780,000 new HCC cases reported annually, the general prognosis is poor with overall survival rates of 3-5%.

US FDA Orphan drug designations are granted to drugs and biologics intended for rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S., and provides incentives that may include tax credits trials and user fee waivers. For products that treat diseases or conditions which cannot be satisfactorily treated by available alternative drugs, FDA may grant in condition approval for marketing after product's completion of phase II pivotal clinical trial. This designation also entitles Lion TCR to a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity in the U.S. upon issuance of the new drug license.

Lion TCR's founder and CEO, Dr. Li Lietao commented, "Profiting from US FDA's well established regulatory framework and the ODD grant of our HBV specific TCR-T cell products, we aim to develop the clinical program internationally under FDA IND covering multiple sites in US, Europe and Asia. It will significantly accelerate our product development and speed up the commercialization of our products to both US and Asian markets.

About Lion TCR Pte Ltd

Lion TCR is a clinical-stage T cell immunotherapy company specialized in the development and commercialisation of its proprietary technologic and T cell products against viral-related cancers. As the world leader in HBV specific TCR redirected T cell therapy against HCC, the company has global exclusive licenses of the technologies and products from Singapore A*Star, which are developed in Prof. Antonio Bertoletti's laboratory. The Company has established a research & production facility in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, China to facilitate the company's clinical trials and commercialisation of products in China.

BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group (DRG), the life sciences industry's most trusted provider of market intelligence and global data products and services, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Context Matters, the innovative data technology start-up that developed a first-of-its-kind global market access integrated data platform. Previously the lead investor in a Series B funding round for the startup last fall, DRG's full acquisition and planned integration of Context Matters cements its position as the partner of choice for global market access data products, analytics, and strategic guidance.

The acquisition of Context Matters reinforces DRG's commitment to providing a deep understanding of global market access landscapes which life sciences organizations can leverage to drive profitable asset management from development through commercialization. It will fortify DRG's global market access portfolio by combining the novel Context Matters data model, which links global regulatory and health technology assessment data to detailed clinical trial data, with DRG's existing suite of products and services. The addition of Context Matters will result in a full service global market access and drug value navigation partner to the life sciences industry, with the flexibility to deliver solutions scaled to client needs and timing—from tactical target points to end-to-end enterprise strategy.

"There is an ever-rising demand to optimize global access to treatments for patients in therapy areas that continue to have unmet need. In our increasingly complex and cost-benefit driven markets, it is imperative for healthcare companies to build robust, evidence-based approaches to plan and prepare their assets for successful global market access," says Peter Hempshall, Senior Vice President of DRG. "With the acquisition of Context Matters, DRG is pleased to welcome an experienced team of pioneering global market access experts. They have been at the forefront of compiling and connecting disparate forms of data to provide life sciences companies with the depth of data and direction needed to plan and implement successful access, reimbursement and asset valuation strategies for varied global markets."

"Context Matters was created from the idea that data from market access and reimbursement can be used to inform clinical trial design," explained Yin Ho, M.D., M.B.A., the Founder and CEO of Context Matters. "It has been extremely gratifying to watch Context Matters become a force to change the thinking of the pharmaceutical industry around how to use data to position and honestly evaluate the value of customers' assets in a global marketplace," said Dr. Ho. "We have been leaders in the industry and our vision will continue to live on in our products, services, and customers as we move forward with DRG."

About Context Matters, Inc.

Context Matters modernizes and improves the process of valuing drug therapies, empowering life sciences organizations to achieve optimal reimbursement for their innovation. The Context Matters Market Access Platform (MAP) defines a new product category for global drug valuation -- a configurable technology platform linking drug development and market data through a sophisticated model making comparative analysis and contextual views possible to establish reimbursement and market access. The MAP is a disruptive innovation that provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies direct access to the insights they need to inform key product development decisions and gain optimal reimbursement value. Visit ContextMatters.com for more information.

About Decision Resources Group

Decision Resources Group, a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Ltd., is the premier source for global healthcare data and market intelligence. A trusted partner for over 20 years, DRG helps companies competing in the global healthcare industry make informed business decisions. Organizations committed to the development and delivery of life-changing therapies rely on DRG's in-house team of expert healthcare analysts, data scientists, and consultants for critical guidance. DRG products and services, built on extensive data assets and delivered by experts, empower organizations to succeed in complex healthcare markets. Please visit decisionresourcesgroup.com for more information.

Emerging Woundcare Technologies is part of Frost & Sullivan's TechVision (Health & Wellness) Growth Partnership Service program. This research service focuses on the new and innovative participants in the wound care industry that are introducing disruptive and emerging technologies. It presents industry best practices, emerging growth opportunities, and strategic recommendations for the future of the wound care industry.

Most of the United States federal budget in the wound care industry is channeled toward cell-based regenerative wound therapy, while the majority of venture funding is for digital technology-based wound management companies providing remote or telehealth technology.

"Partnerships or collaborations between wound care developers and complementary technology developers, such as a sensor or a mobile platform company, are crucial to establish cross-industry expertise," observed Sengupta. "Creating user-friendly digital wound care technologies and educating the staff regarding the usage and benefits of new wound care solutions will go a long way in accelerating the adoption of these technologies."

About TechVision

Frost & Sullivan's global TechVision practice is focused on innovation, disruption and convergence and provides a variety of technology-based alerts, newsletters and research services as well as growth consulting services. Its premier offering, the TechVision program, identifies and evaluates the most valuable emerging and disruptive technologies enabling products with near-term potential. A unique feature of the TechVision program is an annual selection of 50 technologies that can generate convergence scenarios, possibly disrupt the innovation landscape, and drive transformational growth. View a summary of our TechVision program by clicking on the following link: http://ifrost.frost.com/TechVision_Demo.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion

"TruDiagnosis® offers rapid, reliable multiplexed analysis at a lower overall cost per array," reports Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Sanchari Chatterjee Maity. "The company modified this platform by replacing the traditional glass substrate with a cost-effective plastic film substrate for printing arrays without requiring functionalized coatings. Akonni also enhanced the manufacturing process for reel-to-reel manufacturing of arrays on film to generate greater cost efficiencies."

At the heart of the platform is the TruArray® 3D gel-drop technology, which delivers efficient immobilization capacity due to the innovative spacing design of the immobilized molecules throughout the volume of the gel drop. This design boasts high hybridization efficiency, which helps achieve specific hybridization to obtain incredibly accurate data. The low-density microarrays can carry between 5 and 400 3D gel-drops per array.

TruDiagnosis® has garnered considerable praise for its easy mode of operation and accurate results. The testing procedure involves dropping a few microliters of the DNA sample onto a microfluidic test slide the size of a stick of chewing gum. The sample then flows over an array of the 3D gel-drops with probes that test for the targets of interest; for example, Akonni's multi-drug resistant mycobacterium TB (MDR-TB) test includes six tuberculosis (TB) genes and 88 strain-specific mutations. Akonni facilitates workflows by combining conventional target amplification, fragmentation, and labeling processes into a single microfluidic chamber. Additionally, the integrated, self-contained design of the microfluidic device alleviates the risk of amplicon contamination following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Once the assay is finished, the test is inserted in the TruDx reader, which detects and indicates a genetic match. This operational method takes significantly less computation time than other diagnostic microarrays.

Pre-clinical studies demonstrate the superiority of TruDiagnosis' clinical viability over traditional multiplexed platforms. "Akonni has won several projects from leading private as well as government entities in North America and Asia-Pacific due to the versatility of its diagnostic products," noted Chatterjee Maity. "Overall, it enjoys a solid market presence and is well positioned for higher growth due to its effective products, customer-friendly approach, strategic execution of business prospects, and cost effectiveness."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that develops an innovative product element by leveraging leading-edge technologies. The award recognizes the value-added features/benefits of the product and the increased ROI it affords customers, which, in turn, raises customer acquisition and overall market penetration potential.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Akonni Biosystems, Inc.

Akonni Biosystems was founded in 2003 and has been issued 21 US and 36 International patents primarily covering sample preparation, microfluidic devices, bioinstrumentation, and integrated systems. Product development has been supported by a series of government grants and contracts from NIH, CDC, DOE, DOD, NIJ, and NSF. The company significantly advanced the original technology by improving the system's capabilities from sample preparation to test result. Commercial products in Akonni's near-term pipeline include rapid sample preparation technologies for nucleic acid extraction and multiplex panel assays for detecting clinically relevant genotypes for pharmacogenomics, human chronic diseases, and genotypes for infectious diseases such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), upper respiratory infections, viral encephalitis, and hospital-acquired infections (MRSA).

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Revenue decreased 17.7% to $2.9 million in second quarter 2017 from $3.5 million in the same period of 2016;

Gross profit margin was 22.2% in second quarter 2017, compared to 13.6% in the same period of 2016.

Loss from operations was $2.1 million in second quarter 2017 compared to $2.2 million in the same period of 2016, a decrease of $0.1 million in loss;

Net loss was $2.3 million in second quarter 2017 compared to $2.5 million in the same period of 2016. Loss per common share was $(0.05) per basic and diluted share in second quarter 2017 compared with $(0.06) per basic and diluted share in the same period of 2016.

"We experienced a slight revenue decrease in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year, which was primarily due to the current status of Chinese health care reform. Recent reforms require health care institutions to strictly control 'the proportion of drug sales to total revenue', in an effort to prevent hospitals from subsidizing medical services with inflated prescription drug prices. This background led to a significant decrease of drug purchases from health care institutions and impacted our drug sales in this period," said Ms. Zhilin Li, China Pharma's Chairman and CEO. Ms. Li continued, "Nevertheless, increasing sales remains our top priority. Management will continue to vigorously promote sales by actively participating in the recent provincial market openings to receive new drug tender offers and by further exploring the basic medical market. The ongoing generic drug consistency evaluations and reform of China's drug production registration and review policies will have a major impact on the future development of our industry and may change its business patterns. We will continue to actively adapt to state policy guidance and further evaluate market conditions for our current existing products, pipeline products, and competition in the market in order to optimize our development strategy."

Second Quarter Results

Revenue decreased by 17.7% to $2.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2017, as compared to $3.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2016. This decrease was mainly due to the impact from the ongoing Chinese health care reform.

Gross profit for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $0.6 million, compared to $0.5 million in the same period last year. Our gross profit margin in the three months ended June 30, 2017 was 22.2% compared to 13.6% in the same period last year. This increase was primarily due to more sales of higher margin products in this period compared to the sales performance in the same period last year.

Our selling expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2017 were $0.8 million, a decrease of $0.1 million, compared to $0.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2016. Selling expenses accounted for 27.5% of the total revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2017 compared to 24.2% in the same period last year. Because of adjustments in our sales practices resulting from health-care reform policies, despite the overall decrease in sales, we may require additional personnel and expenses to support our sales and the collection of accounts receivable.

Our general and administrative expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2017 were $0.6 million, which represented a decrease of $0.2 million compared to $0.8 million in the same period last year. General and administrative expenses accounted for 21% and 22% of our total revenues in three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Our bad debt expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $0.4 million, compared to $0.5 million in the same period last year.

During the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 the Company recognized an impairment related to "Advances for purchases of intangible assets" in the amount of $1.0 million and $0.8 million, respectively. The Company reviewed the contracts relating to advances made for purchases of intangible assets with independent laboratories and determined that the Company's advances to independent laboratories for several formulas were impaired.

Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $2.3 million, compared to net loss of $2.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2016.

Six Months Results

For the six months ended June 30, 2017, our sales revenue was $6.2 million, which represented a decrease of $1.0 million, or 13.7%, from the $7.2 million in the corresponding period of 2016.

Gross profit for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $1.4 million, compared to $1.1 million in the same period of 2016. Gross profit margin for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 were 22.0% and 15.6%, respectively. The increase in gross profit margin was mainly due to more higher-margin products sold in this period.

Our operating loss for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was approximately $2.9 million, compared to $3.5 million for the same period of 2016, which represented an improvement of $0.6 million. This was mainly due to the increase in gross profit margin and decrease in bad debt expense in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period last year.

Net loss was $3.3 million, or $0.07 per basic and diluted share for the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared to $4.0 million, or $0.09 per basic and diluted share, for the same period a year ago.

Financial Condition

As of June 30, 2017, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $1.7 million compared to $2.7 million as of December 31, 2016. Working capital decreased to $6.7 million as of June 30, 2017 from $7.1 million as of December 31, 2016; and the current ratio was 1.6 and 1.7 times at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Our net accounts receivable balance decreased to $3.2 million as of June 30, 2017 from $4.0 million as of December 31, 2016.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call at 8:30 am E.T. on August 15, 2017 to discuss the results of second quarter 2017. Listeners may access the call by dialing 1-866-519-4004 or 65-671-350-90 for international callers, Conference ID # 66755768. A replay of the call will be accessible through August 23, 2017 by dialing 1-855-452-5696 or 61-281-990-299 for international callers, Conference ID # 66755768.

About China Pharma Holdings, Inc.

China Pharma Holdings, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of products focused on conditions with a high incidence and high mortality rates in China, including cardiovascular, CNS, infectious, and digestive diseases. The Company's cost-effective, high-margin business model is driven by market demand and supported by new GMP-certified product lines covering the major dosage forms. In addition, the Company has a broad and expanding nationwide distribution network across all major cities and provinces in China. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Hainan Helpson Medical & Biotechnology Co., Ltd., is located in Haikou City, Hainan Province. For more information about China Pharma Holdings, Inc., please visit www.chinapharmaholdings.com. The Company routinely posts important information on its website.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements set forth above that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, which may include, but are not limited to, such factors as the achievability of financial guidance, success of new product development, unanticipated changes in product demand, increased competition, downturns in the Chinese economy, uncompetitive levels of research and development, and other information detailed from time to time in the Company's filings and future filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations except as required by applicable law or regulation.

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2017 decreased 2.84% to $15.6 million from $16.1 million a year ago. Sales of TCM raw materials amounted to 73.93% of total revenues; sales of handicrafts amounted to 0.01% of total revenues and sales of "Others" segment consisting with the yew candles, pine needle extracts, essential oil soaps and dietary supplement amounted to 26.06% of total revenues. We did not make sales of yew tree in the second quarter of 2017 due to the Company's strategy adjustment to reserve more yew trees for future TCM raw materials sales.

For the three months ended June 30, 2017, gross profit was $10.6 million, or 67.9% of total revenues, compared with $1.6 million, or 10.3% of total revenues for the comparable 2016 quarter. The increase in the gross profit margin was primarily attributable to the higher gross margin yields of TCM raw materials.

Operating expenses decreased 12.1% to $299,915 for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, from $341,257 in the year-ago quarter. The decreasing was primarily attributable to the decreases in professional fees.

Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2017 increased 685.0% to $10.3 million from $1.3 million in the same quarter last year due to the decrease in cost of revenues from TCM raw material. Earnings per diluted share for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $0.19, as compared to $0.03 for the three months ended June 30, 2016.

Six Month 2017 Financial Results

Six Months Ended June 30,

Percentage

2017

2016

Change

Revenues:

TCM Raw Materials

$14,071,047

$17,189,810

(18.14)%

Yew Trees

-

23,246

(100.00)%

Handicrafts

2,368

96,473

(97.55)%

Others

9,406,425

7,370,950

27.61%

Total Revenues

$23,479,840

$24,680,479

(4.86)%

Total revenues for the first six months of 2017 decreased to $23.5 million from $24.7 million a year ago. Sales of TCM raw materials amounted to 59.93% of total revenues; sales of handicrafts amounted to 0.01% of total revenues and sales of "Others" segment consisting with the yew candles, pine needle extracts, essential oil soaps and dietary supplement amounted to 40.06% of total revenues. We did not make sales of yew tree in the first half of 2017 due to the Company's strategy adjustment to reserve more yew trees for future TCM raw materials sales.

For the six months ended June 30, 2017, gross profit was $11.1 million, or 47.3% of total revenues, compared with $3.0 million, or 12.3% of total revenues for the comparable first six months of 2016. The increase in the gross profit margin was primarily attributable to the higher gross margin yields of TCM raw materials.

Operating expenses decreased 9.0% to $598,318 for the six months ended June 30, 2017, from $657,157 for the same period last year. The decreasing was primarily attributable to the decreases in professional fees.

Net income for the first six months of 2017 increased 342.4% to $10.4 million from $2.4 million for the same period last year. Earnings per diluted share was $0.19, as compared to $0.05 for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

"We were pleased to continue to deliver strong operating and financial results through our increased sales and business strategy adjustment since the year of 2016." said Mr. Zhiguo Wang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yew Bio-Pharm Group, Inc. "Our net income for the second quarter increased 685.0% compared to last year due to the decrease in cost of revenues from TCM raw materials, which illustrates the success of our company strategy in another way. Since 2016, we changed our strategy to decrease our yew seedling sales and to grow the seedlings for picking leaves, which will be finally made to TCM raw materials. From the second quarter of 2017, we reserved enough leaves to pick without cutting down the whole grown trees and our TCM raw materials unit cost decreased accordingly."

"As we also mentioned in prior announcement, our new e-commerce website officially went live on June 7, 2017 under the URL: http://www.yewshop.com, and the new website had begun to generate revenues from June, 2017. We expect the newly added business section will contribute more revenues in the following months. Meanwhile, our two new cosmetic series products, which contain yew oil ingredient, are expected to deliver by the end of August. We believe these new developed cosmetic products will greatly enrich our product mix and to increase our potential revenues in the future."

ABOUT YEW BIO-PHARM GROUP, INC

Yew Bio-Pharm Group, Inc., through its operating entity, Harbin Yew Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. (HDS), is a major grower and seller of yew trees, yew raw materials used in the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and products made from yew timber in China. Raw material from the species of yew tree that the Company grows contains taxol, and TCM containing yew raw materials has been approved as a traditional Chinese medicine in China for secondary treatment of certain cancers. The Company uses a patented, accelerated growth technology to speed the growth and maturity and commercialization of yew trees and believes that it is one of the few companies possessing a permit to sell them. Yew Bio-Pharm also recently established a division to focus on organic foods and dietary supplements with the aim of developing new business opportunities in related industries. To learn more, please visit www.yewbiopharm.com.

SAFE HARBOR

This press release forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: our ability to collect from our largest customers; our dependence on a small number of customers for raw materials, including a related party; our ability to continue to purchase raw materials at relatively stable prices; our dependence on a small number of customers for our yew trees for reforestation; our ability to market successfully raw materials used in the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicines; and our ability to receive continued preferential tax treatment for the sale of yew trees and potted yew trees. From time to time, these risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K. Yew Bio does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

]]>2017-08-14T18:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185150-0.shtmlBEIJING, Aug. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SVA)("Sinovac" or the "Company"), a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today that The NASDAQ Stock Market ("NASDAQ") has accepted the Company's plan to regain compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the "Rule") and granted an exception to the Company to extend the deadline for complying with the Rule to October 30, 2017.The Company may regain compliance at any time before October 30, 2017 upon filing with the SEC its Annual Report on form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 (the "2016 Annual Report").In the event that the Company does not satisfy the terms set forth in the extension, NASDAQ will provide written notification that the Company's common shares will be subject to delisting proceedings. At that time, the Company may appeal NASDAQ's determination for a panel review.

As announced previously, on May 1, 2017, the Company filed a Form 12b-25, Notification of Late Filing, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") regarding the delayed filing of the 2016 Annual Report. On July 10, 2017, the Company submitted a compliance plan to NASDAQ to support its request for an extension of time to regain compliance with NASDAQ's continued listing requirements. The submission of the compliance plan is in response to a written letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of NASDAQ dated May 10, 2017 indicating that the Company was not in compliance with the Rule because the Company had failed to file the 2016 Annual Reportwithin four months after the end of year 2016 and did not expect that it will be able to file the 2016 Annual Report within the 15-day extension period.

The 2016 Annual Report was delayed because Company's Audit Committee (the "Audit Committee") required additional time for its internal investigation regarding allegations raised in a research report by Geoinvesting. The investigation has slowed completion of the Company's financial statements and audit for the year ended December 31, 2016.The Company's management and the Audit Committee are continuing to work diligently to complete the 2016 Annual Report and file it with the SEC as soon as possible.

After the Company publicly announced the internal investigation arising from the Geoinvesting report, the SEC staff notified the Company of an enforcement inquiry related to the matters discussed in the article. The SEC staff subsequently issued a subpoena requesting documents related to the internal investigation. The Company, at the direction of the Audit Committee and with the assistance of independent counsel, has been cooperating with the SEC in response to the staff's requests for information.

In June 2017, the Company became aware of certain judgments based on bribery charges issued by Chinese courts in four provinces against various officials of the Chinese Center for Disease Control (the "CDC"). While these judgments appear to reflect an industry-wide investigation focused on CDC officials, they also referenced eight of the Company's former and current salespersons, together with sales personnel from several other Chinese vaccine companies and distributors. However, these judgments did not name the Company or any of its directors, officers and employees as defendants. Upon becoming aware of these judgments, the Audit Committee expanded its internal investigation to review matters related to these judgments and the Company's sales practices and policies.

On July 3, 2017, a securities class action complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against the Company and three of its current and former officers: Mr. Weidong Yin, the Company's current chief executive officer, Ms. Nan Wang, the Company's current chief financial officer, and Mr. Danny Chung, the Company's former chief financial officer. The complaint asserts that statements in the Company's annual filings for fiscal years 2012 through 2015 were false and misleading because they failed to disclose matters relating to the alleged bribery incidents, among other allegations. The Company is vigorously defending this lawsuit.

On July12, 2017, another securities class action complaint was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against the Company and certain directors, among others. The complaint alleges that the Company's directors breached their fiduciary duties by, among other things, initiating a self-dealing going-private transaction at a per share consideration that is less than the true value of their investment in the Company. The complaint also alleges that the Company aided and abetted those alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by the Company's directors. The complaint seeks, among other things, an injunction preventing completion of the going-private transaction, damages (including rescissory damages) in favor of the plaintiff and the class, and the fees and costs associated with the litigation. The Company is vigorously defending this lawsuit as well.

About Sinovac

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is a China-based biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. Sinovac's product portfolio includes vaccines against enterovirus71, or EV71, hepatitis A and B, seasonal influenza, H5N1 pandemic influenza (avian flu), H1N1 influenza (swine flu), and mumps. In addition, an innovative vaccine developed by Sinovac against hand foot and mouth disease caused by EV 71 was commercialized in China in 2016. In 2009, Sinovac was the first company worldwide to receive approval for its H1N1 influenza vaccine, which it has supplied to the Chinese Government's vaccination campaign and stockpiling program. The Company is also the only supplier of the H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccine to the government stockpiling program. The Company is currently developing a number of new products including a Sabin-strain inactivated polio vaccine, pneumococcal polysaccharides vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and varicella vaccine. Sinovac primarily sells its vaccines in China, while also exploring growth opportunities in international markets. The Company has exported select vaccines to 10 countries in Asia and South America. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.sinovac.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this press release contain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Sinovac's beliefs and expectations (including with respect to the filing of the2016 Annual Report, the compliance plan, the internal investigation, the SEC enforcement action and the litigation matters discussed above), are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward- looking statement. Sinovac does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

]]>2017-08-14T11:02:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185119-0.shtmlSYDNEY, Aug. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Novogen Ltd (ASX: NRT; NASDAQ: NVGN), an Australian oncology drug development company, is pleased to provide an update to investors on a review of business operations recently completed by the Board and management team. The review was initiated following appointment of Iain Ross as Chairman on 8 June 2017, and has involved an extensive process of consultation with shareholders and investors.

Streamlined Board Reduces Costs

Novogen previously announced on 8 June 2017 that the Board of Directors had been reduced in size, with two non-executive Directors stepping down from the Board. The changes leave Novogen with a Board comprising three non-executive Directors (Iain Ross, Bryce Carmine, and Steven Coffey), and one executive Director (James Garner, Chief Executive Officer), which is considered optimal to satisfy ASX, NASDAQ, and SEC regulatory obligations.

In addition to the streamlined membership of the Board, Directors have offered to reduce their fees, providing additional savings to the Company. As a result of these changes, the annual cost of the Board has been reduced by approximately 50%.

In order to enhance the operational efficiency of the Board, the number of Board Sub-Committees is being streamlined, and the Charters governing operation of these Sub-Committees are being updated to reflect contemporary best practice. The updated Charters will be made available via Novogen's website as they are reviewed.

AU$ 1.8 Million Annualised Reduction in Operating Expenses

Novogen also indicated in June that it expected to realize additional cost savings through a review of business operations. Approximately $1.8 million of annualized savings have been identified in operating expenses, principally comprising reduction in consultant expenditure, optimization of the intellectual property portfolio, management of occupancy expenses, and a modest reduction in headcount.

These measures have already been substantially implemented, and will allow a greater allocation of the Company's resources to progressing the clinical trials of GDC-0084 and Cantrixil.

In Response to Shareholder Feedback, ADR Proxies to Remain Unvoted

As announced on 11 August, Novogen has instructed its Depository Holder, BNY Mellon, not to direct unvoted proxies from American Depository Receipts (ADRs) in future general meetings of shareholders.

During its consultation with shareholders, the Company has become aware that this practice has become a cause for concern among some shareholders. While the Company has at all times acted in good faith and under independent legal advice on these matters, it recognizes the concerns of shareholders and has accordingly instructed BNY Mellon not to so direct unvoted proxies in future meetings.

Compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rules Confirmed

On 31 May 2017, Novogen received notification from NASDAQ requiring the Company to ensure that the share price of its NASDAQ-listed securities remained above US$ 1 per share, in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rules. In response to this, Novogen announced on 4 July 2017 that it had changed the ratio at which ADRs consolidate underlying Australian shares from 25:1 to 100:1.

The change did not affect the total number of shares on issue, but served to increase the number of ASX shares that were consolidated into each ADR fourfold, with a commensurate increase in the price of the ADRs on NASDAQ.

In a letter dated 28 July 2017 and received on 29 July, NASDAQ confirmed that, as a result of these measures, Novogen was compliant with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and that the matter was now closed.

Novogen Chairman, Iain Ross, commented "recent efforts have significantly improved the efficiency of Novogen as a business, and will allow us to better devote our resources to delivering on the substantial value that resides in our pipeline.

The company has listened carefully to the feedback of shareholders, and has shown its commitment to delivering shareholder value in accordance with the best principles of corporate governance."

About Novogen Limited

Novogen Limited (ASX: NRT; NASDAQ: NVGN) is an emerging oncology-focused biotechnology company, based in Sydney, Australia. Novogen has a portfolio of development candidates, diversified across several distinct technologies, with the potential to yield first-in-class and best- in-class agents in a range of oncology indications.

The lead program is GDC-0084, a small molecule inhibitor of the PI3K / AKT / mTOR pathway, which is being developed to treat glioblastoma multiforme. Licensed from Genentech in late 2016, GDC-0084 is anticipated to enter phase II clinical trials in 2017. A second clinical program, TRXE-002-01 (Cantrixil) commenced a phase I clinical trial in ovarian cancer in December 2016. In addition, the company has several preclinical programs in active development, the largest of which is substantially funded by a CRC-P grant from the Australian Federal Government.

The event, featuring 2,800+ exhibiting companies covering the entire supply chain, acts as an accurate barometer of the industry's overall growth patterns and future developments. Two major trends to emerge from Asia's largest pharma event were the increased interest and promotion of "intelligent manufacturing" systems as well as 'green manufacturing' approaches. The former emphasised a rapid shift within China's industry towards advanced facilities and product classes. However, the latter is a particularly notable change in light of the country's general reputation, and the first ever "China Pharma Environmental Forum" was an integral feature of this year's exhibition.

Another major development in 2017 was the introduction of the first edition of the CPhI China Pharma Week, which was a direct response to China's increased internationalisation. Across the entire week, CPhI and P-MEC China attendees had the opportunity to experience richer content than in any other previous edition. To mention a few: Plant visits in leading R&D and innovation companies, CPhI China River Cruise Networking dinner on Huangpu River that held over 250 overseas and domestic attendees, the CPhI Pharma Business International Program to help overseas companies solve problems they encounter when entering the Chinese market and many more.

As part of the CPhI China Pharma week, the show saw the launch of the Bluebook on Internationalization of China's Pharmaceutical Industry -- listing the largest Chinese companies operating internationally -- and "The 2017 Awards for Top 100 Internationalized Pharmaceutical Companies in China". Both influential regional lists that review and document the country's most prominent companies.

Finally, 2017 saw the arrival of another global trend sweeping through pharma with the first ever CPhI Women in Leadership Forum in China, which featured high level debates on how to advance female executive potential contributing to the fast development of Pharmaceutical industry in the country.

In total, 55,020 visits were recorded over the three-day Shanghai event, with 10,126 visits from international attendees, including representatives from more than 120 different countries, covering an enormous 165,000m2 of exhibition space at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, which makes it the biggest edition of CPhI and P-MEC China to date.

Rutger Oudejans, Brand Director Pharma at UBM added, "CPhI China has grown to be the single most influential meeting point for pharma suppliers and customers, and this year we observed a record number of international attendees and over 55,000 visits in total. The pharma economy has diversified rapidly in the last few years and new markets are emerging in bio and final dosage forms. In addition to the ingredients sector -- which represents some 40% of global production. This year's event was especially significant as we increased the range of insights and analysis across the changing business and regulatory environment. With sessions held on everything from the MAH pilot to formulation development strategies and international distribution. Next year we expect even stronger growth as domestic pharma economy cements its number 2 status and exports of new forms grow exponentially."

CPhI and P-MEC China will return with its 18 edition again in 2018. The event will be held from 20 – 22 June 2018 in Shanghai New International Expo Centre, alongside the 2nd CPhI China Pharma Week edition.

]]>2017-08-11T16:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185046-0.shtmlBEIJING, Aug. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited ("Concord Medical" or the "Company") (NYSE: CCM), a leading specialty hospital management solution provider and operator of the largest network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in China, announced today that it will release its financial results for the first half of 2017 after the market closes on August 25, 2017.

About Concord Medical

Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited is a leading specialty hospital management solution provider and operator of the largest network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in China. As of April 30, 2017, the Company operated a network of 95 centers with 57 hospital partners that spanned 49 cities and 19 provinces and administrative regions in China. Under long-term arrangements with top-tier hospitals in China, the Company provides radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging equipment and manages the daily operations of these centers, which are located on the premises of its hospital partners. The Company also provides ongoing training to doctors and other medical professionals in its network of centers to ensure a high level of clinical care for patients. For more information, please see http://ir.concordmedical.com.

SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --To cater to the increasing demand for exclusive health care services among the Chinese high net-worth, Vista, a veteran with two decades of high-end medical service experience in China integrated its best medical resources and launched VISTA THE ONE (VTO), a private health care institution targeting high net-worth individuals and families.

VTO

China's rapid economic development has created exponentially growing numbers of high net-worth individuals. The gradual aging of this group of people has opened the "private doctors" market in China. The targeted demographic of people is more willing to spend on decreasing their health risks in the future. Specifically, to reduce the uncertain threats on their accumulated wealth - the inheritance issues caused by sudden diseases has become one of their most pressing needs.

Yang Kaixiang, Chief Operating Officer of VTO said: "The significant advantages of VTO's core services compared to the competitive market of "private doctors" lie in Vista's unique position and experience. Having served China's high-end community for over 20 years, Vista has absorbed the essence of high-end private doctor services from other countries. Vista has also accumulated affluent professional experience as well as gaining a profound understanding about the customers' personalized needs. The highly customized service and products have been widely recognized by Vista customers."

Besides the individual and family healthcare services for high-end VVIP customers, Vista operates the VTO member community collectively to build an ecosystem surrounding the idea of the "pan-health industry", providing a communication platform for resource exchange, such as capital investment and business cooperation for elites.

In order to ensure that VTO members enjoy the high-end health services that matches their status, the conditions for joining are comparatively stricter, including no less than RMB 50 million net assets for an individual and no less than RMB 100 million net assets for families. VTO adopts an invitation only membership management model and applications are not accepted.

About Vista

Vista is the first medical institution to enter the "high-end medical" market in China. All its general doctors have more than 10 years of general practice training, with more than 20 years of practice experience. In 2016, Vista was named "The Most Popular Medical Institution" in China for embassies. Vista has signed up with more than 70 high-end commercial health insurance companies around the world, and has mature medical reception capabilities in 139 mainstream hospitals around the world. The Vista Air Rescue Team has accumulated more than 200 hours on its service record and is currently working as a sole medical partner in cooperation with the Chinese National Health Service Commission on the "One-Belt-One-Road" emergency rescue project, which provides Vista customers more effective medical protection in the countries along the belt and road.

]]>2017-08-11T04:15:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/185003-0.shtmlStudy published in Science magazine demonstrates how epigenetic markers can identify cell subtypes and regulatory elements that drive cellular diversity

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Aug. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Swift Biosciences, a leading provider of innovative library prep solutions for next-generation sequencing (NGS), today announced the launch of a new single-cell methylation sequencing method based on its Accel-NGS® Adaptase™ technology, an efficient and robust NGS-prep solution for whole-genome bisulfite sequencing at single-cell resolution. This new method enables the efficient analysis of different methylated regions across thousands of cells from heterogeneous tissues, while also addressing applications, such as cell classification, regulation of cellular mechanisms in normal tissue, epigenetic alterations in disease states and evolutionary conservation of epigenomic regulation.

Methylation is a stable biomarker that can be used to identify cell types and the regulatory elements underlying cell function. When coupled with single-cell RNA expression studies, single-cell methylation can elucidate the regulatory elements, in turn controlling the unique expression profiles of individual cells and differences between cells. Additionally, recent clinical studies have uncovered methylation patterns in diseases—such as cancer—which identify tumor type, assess tumor burden in liquid biopsies, and correlate with disease progression, prognosis and drug response.

This method was recently described in the Science paper entitled "Single Cell Methylomes Identify Neuronal Subtypes and Regulatory Elements in Mammalian Cortex" by collaborators at the Salk Institute, University of California San Diego and Swift Biosciences. The workflow combines fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based isolation, bisulfite conversion and Swift's Accel-NGS Adaptase module with other commercially available components. The published results demonstrated a greater than two-fold increase in read-mapping rates as compared to other methods; thereby, significantly improving the data output per sequencing run while reducing the overall cost.

"This is one of many scientific collaboration in which Swift technologies is pushing the boundaries of science," said Timothy Harkins, president and CEO of Swift Biosciences and co-author on the paper. "We are excited about new insights into basic cellular processes, and the profound, future impact it will have on precision medicine."

"Our proprietary Adaptase technology constructs high-complexity NGS libraries from low-input, single-stranded DNA," said Laurie Kurihara, PhD, senior director of research and development and co-author on the paper. "Our single-cell workflow has fewer steps than other methods and offers multiplexed, single-cell processing to provide greater productivity for high-throughput applications."

Commenting on their cooperation with CARsgen on this Claudin18.2-CAR-T clinical trial, Oncologist Xianbao Zhan, Ph.D & MD, Chief of Oncology at the hospital and principal investigator on this study, said, "It is designed to develop and deliver innovative solutions and bring hope to people who are suffering from refractory and/or relapsed gastric and pancreatic cancers all over the world."

"The Claudin18.2 program marks another major breakthrough of CARsgen following the world's first anti-GPC3-CAR-T trial for hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) initiated in 2015," said Dr.Zonghai Li, President and CEO of the company.

The company's proprietary humanized antibody exhibited promising affinity between an antibody and an epitope, while maintaining steady specificity of which molecule reacts against certain antigenic determinants and not with others. The pre-clinical study also showed that the anti-Claudin18.2 CAR-T cell therapy combines both high safety and anti-tumor activity.

Claudin18.2 belongs to a unique family of membrane proteins that make tight junctions. Previous research has shown that its expression in healthy tissues is strictly confined to short-lived differentiated epithelial cells of the gastric mucosa, but is abundant in a variety of human malignancies including gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer, which qualify CLDN18.2 as a highly attractive target to develop safe and potent cancer immunotherapies.

Gastric and pancreatic cancer are among the malignancies with the highest unmet medical needs. Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and as the World Health Organization (WHO) presented in 2015, the total number of annual global gastric cancer deaths is estimated to exceed 754,000. Pancreatic cancer, with a mortality rate that closely parallels incidence, kills over 200,000 patients a year around the world, according to a Lancet report in 2016. These challenges highlight the urgent demand for novel, safe and effective therapies.

"In the future, we will continue to advance the clinical trial and facilitate its translation into robust clinical benefits," said Li.

About CARsgen Therapeutics

CARsgen Therapeutics is a rapidly growing bio-tech start-up with the original CAR-T therapy discovery expertise, competitive GMP manufacturing capability, and global clinical development experience. CARsgen commits to delivering the most advanced yet affordable cell therapies to patients with unmet medical needs. With broad discovery pipeline across solid tumor and hematology malignancies, CARsgen proceeds the clinical development with a clear focus in CAR-T therapy for solid tumors. Several of its pioneering CAR-T cell therapies, anti-GPC3 CAR-T for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), anti-GPC3 CAR-T for squamous lung cancer (SLC), cancer-specific anti-EGFR CAR-T for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and first-in-class anti-Claudin18.2-CAR-T for gastric and pancreatic cancer, have all entered early clinical development.

]]>2017-08-09T21:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184866-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As the world population is aging, the top priority of leading countries is to come up with solutions that can overcome dementia. Currently, a handful of anti-dementia drugs are used. But most of them just temporarily alleviate symptoms. Recently, there has been a series of failures of global candidate drugs that have been developed based on the conventional treatment mechanism. Due to the failures, now is a good time to develop a drug based on the root cause of dementia.

Through a fruitful collaboration, scientists at KIST, Ki-Duk Park, C. Justin Lee, and Ae-Nim Pae, developed a drug candidate for dementia with excellent drug-like properties and efficacy. The drug candidate (KDS2010) was based on the previous findings that reactive astrocytes, commonly found in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, generate and secrete GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, causing memory impairment and cognitive impairment (Nature Medicine, 2014).

This synthetic drug developed by the researchers is a substance that can reduce the amount of abnormally produced GABA. It is a drug candidate that can dramatically improve memory and cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's disease patients.

* GABA: One of the transmitters of the central nervous system of mammals with strong inhibitory effect on neuronal excitability.

Researchers dissolved the drug in water and fed the mice that are genetically modified to mimic Alzheimer's disease. They conducted Morris water maze and passive avoidance experiments to check the mice's memory. They found that cognitive functions of the Alzheimer's mice returned to the normal state. Furthermore, long-term administration of a low dose (1mg/kg) of the drug led to a long-lasting improvement in cognitive functions, even up to 4 weeks of treatment. This is in great contrast to the existing drugs, whose early efficacy is excellent but long-term administration has low efficacy. Furthermore, according to the results of verifying ADME/Tox, the drug candidate effectively transferred to the brain through oral intake and had drug-like properties without biotoxicity and any side effects on other nervous system.

This drug candidate provides a fundamental treatment option for cognitive function disorders through an entirely new treatment regime. So far it has been tested for long-term efficacy and toxicity. Currently, non-clinical trials are conducted at the GLP level. This could turn out to be a next-generation global drug for Alzheimer's disease through immediate clinical trials.

On the 31st of May, Byeonggwon Lee, the president of KIST and Sangmin Park, CEO of MegaBioWood, an affiliate of KEMIMEDI(CEO, Geonseop Choi) had a signing ceremony for the technology transfer on "Drug Candidate for Alzheimer's disease" at the KIST Seoul Campus. The total amount of the technology transfer contract was for 6 million US dollars, including $500,000 upfront payment and 5.5 million US dollars as a milestone technology payment. The running royalty was signed for 3% of net sales.

]]>2017-08-08T20:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184761-0.shtml- Collaboration furthers both parties' commitment to advance research and development for neglected diseases

- Agreement focuses on optimizing vaccine process development and formulation and exchanging know-how

DARMSTADT, Germany, Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with Baylor College of Medicine (Texas, U.S.) and its vaccine product development partnership (PDP), Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development (Texas Children's CVD), to advance vaccine research and development for neglected and emerging infections.

The collaboration focuses on bringing vaccines through development to efficiently deliver them to societies in need. Merck's experts in process development and formulation are working with Texas Children's CVD scientists at Baylor to optimize the vaccine manufacturing process to increase vaccine stability and yield. Initially, these activities are targeting schistosomiasis, a deadly parasitic disease that affects millions of people a year in tropical and subtropical regions.

"Our purpose is to solve the toughest problems in life science by collaborating with the global scientific community," said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "The alliance with Baylor College of Medicine, one of the premier research institutions in the world, is the ideal partnership to advance vaccine development and manufacturing. Together, we will support the fight against infectious diseases."

The collaboration includes training and exchange of technical know-how in process development and formulation, filling knowledge gaps that exist from research and development to manufacturing, with a focus on neglected and emerging diseases. Dr. Peter Hotez, founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the PDP, recently presented on the topic at an Access to Medicine event earlier this year in Darmstadt, Germany.

"We are excited to partner with Merck in order to advance this important vaccine. Today, schistosomiasis is considered one of the world's most devastating neglected tropical diseases, affecting hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people. We are excited about our new collaboration with Merck to advance this lifesaving vaccine," said Dr. Hotez.

Dr. Maria-Elena Bottazzi, Deputy Director of Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, said, "The scientific knowledge exchange from this partnership will catalyze and accelerate the product development of much-needed vaccines against the diseases of poverty. It will serve as a framework for capacity building and will establish self-reliance in vaccine development and manufacturing around the globe."

This collaboration, together with Merck's recently announced public-private partnership with the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (James Cook University, Queensland), the Australian Government's investment promotion agency, and Baylor College of Medicine, furthers both parties' commitment to advancing research in neglected diseases globally.

About Baylor College of MedicineBaylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in Houston is recognized as a premier academic health sciences center and is known for excellence in education, research and patient care. It is the only private medical school in the greater southwest and is ranked 21st among medical schools for research and 8th for primary care by U.S. News & World Report. Baylor is listed 19th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding and number one in Texas. Located in the Texas Medical Center, Baylor has affiliations with seven teaching hospitals and jointly owns and operates Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, part of CHI St. Luke's Health. Currently, Baylor trains more than 3,000 medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, physician assistant and orthotics students, as well as residents and post-doctoral fellows.

In 2011, Baylor launched the National School of Tropical Medicine, which together with Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development is leading an innovative product development partnership model for the research & development of new vaccines to combat the world's neglected tropical diseases.

All Merck news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About MerckMerck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of €15 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Decision secures access to Erbitux® for new patients in England with oral cavity tumors

All patients currently receiving Erbitux® will have continued access

Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced today that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for England has issued a positive Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the routine National Health Service (NHS) use of Erbitux® (cetuximab) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line therapy for the treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in the oral cavity.[1] NICE's decision confirms the positive benefit Erbitux can have on the survival of patients in this setting. Erbitux is already established and reimbursed as an effective therapy for different stages of SCCHN across many countries worldwide.

"This announcement secures continued access to Erbitux for patients in England who have R/M SCCHN with oral cavity tumors -- a positive step forward as the only other available treatment option is platinum-based chemotherapy. Our ultimate goal is to secure access to Erbitux for all patients living with R/M SCCHN," said Maya Martinez-Davis, Global Head of Oncology Franchise for Merck's biopharma business. "Today's recommendation marks another important achievement in our commitment to ensuring that patients worldwide have access to optimal treatments."

For patients with R/M SCCHN, Erbitux has been available in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) since 2010. This was in line with the current European Society for Medical Oncology and the US National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines. Both guidelines recommend Erbitux in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, followed by Erbitux maintenance monotherapy to disease progression, as the first line standard of care for patients with R/M SCCHN, regardless of tumor location.[2],[3]

In 2016, a new approach to the appraisal and funding of cancer drugs in England came into place and all drugs previously funded by the CDF had to be reassessed by NICE. The reassessment reviews if the treatments bring sufficient clinical benefit to patients to be a cost-effective use of NHS resources.

Erbitux has obtained marketing authorization in over 90 countries worldwide. To date, more than 259,000 patients with SCCHN have been treated with Erbitux.[4]

By publishing a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has made final recommendations on how Erbitux with platinum-based chemotherapy therapy should be used in the NHS. If there are no successful appeals, the final recommendations will be issued as NICE guidance.

Abouthead and neck cancer

Head and neck (H&N) cancer is a disease that occurs in the cells that line tissues or organs in the head and neck region. This can include the oral cavity, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), nasal cavity and salivary glands.[5] More than 90% of H&N cancers begin in the flat squamous cells that line surfaces such as the mouth, nose and throat.[6] This is called squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). SCCHN is the sixth most common cancer worldwide.[7] Prognosis is dependent on the stage of the disease and worsens as the disease advances. 60% of people with H&N cancer are diagnosed when the disease is in an advanced stage.[8] Recurrent cancer means that the disease has come back after a period of time when it could not be detected. When cancer has spread to another part of the body it is called metastatic disease. When cancer spreads from where it started to nearby tissue of lymph nodes it is called locally advanced cancer. Once H&N cancer reoccurs or spreads outside of the neck, the prognosis is poor, with a median life expectancy of only 10 months.[9]

About Erbitux

Erbitux® (cetuximab) is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody (mAb) approved to treat two different types of cancer: RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN).[9] The active substance in Erbitux, cetuximab, is a monoclonal antibody. A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein that has been designed to recognize and attach to a specific structure (called an antigen) in the body. Erbitux has been designed to attach to the EGFR, which can be found on the surface of some tumor cells.[10] One of the mechanisms of action is considered to be antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).[10] The EGF receptor is one of the most important pathways that regulate the growth, survival and increase of cells. Abnormal activity of the EGFR has been shown to play a key role in the development and growth of tumor cells.[11] The EGFR is involved in switching on genes called RAS that are involved in the growth of cells; Erbitux works by binding to the EGFR. As a result of this binding, the cancer cell can no longer receive the messages it needs for growth, progression and metastasis.[10]

The most characteristic adverse events are skin reactions, which occur in more than 80% of patients, hypomagnesemia, which occurs in more than 10% of patients and infusion-related reactions, which occur with mild to moderate symptoms in more than 10% of patients and with severe symptoms in more than 1% of patients.[10]

Erbitux has already obtained market authorization in over 90 countries worldwide for the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Merck licensed the right to market Erbitux outside the US and Canada from ImClone LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, in 1998. Merck has an ongoing commitment to the advancement of oncology treatment and is currently investigating novel therapies in highly targeted areas.

All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life -- from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of EUR15.0 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Listeners may access the call by dialing 1-866-519-4004 or 65-671-350-90 for international callers, Conference ID # 66755768. A replay of the call will be accessible through August 23, 2017 by dialing 1-855-452-5696 or 61-281-990-299 for international callers, Conference ID # 66755768.

About China Pharma Holdings, Inc.

China Pharma Holdings, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of products focused on conditions with a high incidence and high mortality rates in China, including cardiovascular, CNS, infectious, and digestive diseases. The Company's cost-effective business model is driven by market demand and supported by new GMP-certified product lines covering the major dosage forms. In addition, the Company has a broad and expanding nationwide distribution network across all major cities and provinces in China. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Hainan Helpson Medical & Biotechnology Co., Ltd., is located in Haikou City, Hainan Province. For more information about China Pharma Holdings, Inc., please visit http://www.chinapharmaholdings.com. The Company routinely posts important information on its website.

Vascular surgeon Professor Rob Fitridge, Head of Vascular Surgery at CALHN and Lyell McEwin Hospital, and Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Adelaide, says, "Using WoundVue™ in this trial will provide us with reliable and objective data that will feed into our predictive model for amputations resulting from diabetic foot ulcers. Accurate and reproducible measurements are required for any clinical decision support system, especially in the context of this trial where these data will be used to predict the likelihood of surgical intervention. We are enthusiastic about working closely with LBT in this trial and believe there is a real clinical unmet need that the WoundVue™ device can address."

Similar to the approach taken with APAS®, LBT is developing WoundVue™ with a clinical focus, meaning the context of development is within the global regulatory guidelines of a medical device. This is an important differentiator to off-the-shelf, commercial apps that are not regulated and don't go through such a level of rigour and verification.

LBT CEO and Managing Director Brent Barnessays, "This collaboration is the logical next step having recently completed the proof-of-principle work developing our core algorithms in automatic tissue identification and delivering a prototype device. Development of validated medical devices in a regulated environment takes time. We are excited to collaborate with Professor Fitridge and his team to have the WoundVue™ prototype device being used in a clinical setting that will allow for further development of our core technology."

More than 50 million people globally are affected by chronic wounds with many being treated by multiple care practitioners. The use of manual and subjective tools to monitor the healing of degradation of wounds often leads to inconsistent therapy for patients. A device such as WoundVue™ will significantly reduce assessment time and assist in improving patient outcomes by having an accurate, frequent and reproducible assessment of chronic wounds.

About LBT Innovations

LBT Innovations (LBT) improves patient outcomes by making healthcare more efficient. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the Company has two world class-leading products in microbiology automation: MicroStreak®, which provides automated culture plate streaking and Automated Plate Assessment System (APAS®). Based on LBT's intelligent imaging and interpretative software, US FDA-cleared APAS® automates imaging, analysis and interpretation of culture plates following incubation. LBT has entered into a joint venture Clever Culture Systems AG (CCS) with Hettich Holding Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH to commercialise APAS® products. LBT's third product WoundVue® is in early development; this is a proposed automated solution to assist in the management of chronic wounds.

Temasek, an investment company headquartered in Singapore, leads the financing followed by existing investors Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) and ARCH Venture Partners. New investors also include Taikang, Hangzhou Economic & Technological Development Area (HEDA), Bank of China (BOC) and Bank of Hangzhou.

"The successful Series B financing indicates the continual faith of existing investors in Just China. We are also thankful to our new investors for their strong support," said Dr. Yining ZHAO, Co-founder and CEO of Just China. "Healthcare innovation in China has already entered into a new era. With joint efforts from all parties, Just China is committed to demonstrating the innovation in our products and business model, to truly accomplish our mission of providing good quality biotherapeutics for all."

Located in the Hangzhou Economic & Technological Development Area, Just China's world-class R&D and manufacturing facility will be completed by the end of this year and operational in the first quarter of 2018. Construction and operations of the production center strictly adhere to cGMP standards and will be fully compliant with any country's regulations and guidelines for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Globally, Just China has already established clinical development and CMC capabilities with a strong pipeline consisting of both bionovel and biosimilar products. Several leading programs will start to enter clinical stage in 2018.

Just China was founded in February 2016 as a joint venture with Just Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Just), located in Seattle, Washington, USA. As an affiliate, Just China will have access to Just's integrated technology platform, J.DESIGN, and will closely partner with Just to evolve the platform. Applying J.DESIGN technology to molecule, process, product, manufacturing and plant design will enable Just China to develop biologics that meet global quality standards, while accelerating the development process and substantially reducing manufacturing cost.

About Just. Founded in 2014, Just is led by an experienced team in the fields of protein, process and manufacturing sciences. The Just team came together to solve the scientific and technical hurdles that block access to life changing protein therapeutics; from the design of therapeutic molecules to the design of the manufacturing plants used to produce them. Our focus and passion is to create access and value for a global market through scientific and technological innovation.

About Temasek. Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is an investment company headquartered in Singapore. Supported by 10 offices internationally, Temasek owns a S$275 billion (US$197 billion, EUR184 billion, GBP158 billion, RMB1.35 trillion)* portfolio as at 31 March 2017, mainly in Singapore and the rest of Asia.

About Taikang: Founded in 1996, Taikang is a large insurance and financial service conglomerate. The company operates through three main businesses: insurance, asset management and health and elderly care. Taikang Insurance Group has a number of subsidiaries which include Taikang Life, Taikang Asset, Taikang Pension, Taikang Community, Taikang Health and Tk.cn. Its business scope covers a wide range of fields, such as life insurance, pension, enterprise annuity, online property and casualty insurance, asset management, health and elderly care, health management, commercial real estate and offshore businesses.

]]>2017-08-07T13:14:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184585-0.shtmlSINGAPORE, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Professor Antonio Bertoletti (Scientific Founder) & Dr Sarene Koh (Product Development Director) of Lion TCR Pte Ltd in Singapore collaborated with Professor Maura Dandri and Dr. Janine Kah of University Medical Center Hambourg and various Singapore & German institutions published their finding on the effective control of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection with T cell immunotherapy in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (see reference to JCI article below). CHB has severe quantitative and functional defects in HBV-specific T cell response. Restoration of the HBV specific T cells are determinant to clear the virus of CHB. The team is the first to use mRNA transduction to engineer the transient HBV specific TCR-redirected T cells as a new therapeutic strategy against CHB. The research utilizes molecular biology techniques to modify the T cells of a patient. When infused back into the patient's body, the TCR redirected T lymphocytes find, recognize and inhibit or clear the hepatitis B virus in hepatocyte.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that is a major global health problem. More than 250 million people are chronic hepatitis B (CHB) carriers and approximately 1 million people die every year from CHB-related diseases. There is an urgent need to design new strategies to eliminate and achieve functional cure of chronic HBV infection.

Various current therapies for HCC only inhibit the virus without clearance of the virus, patients continue to live under the danger of complications which many eventually die from.

This study, a collaborative effort between Duke-NUS, various prestigious Singapore & German institutions and Lion TCR, provides a potential solution to control the HBV infection, potentially complete clearance of HBV virus and possibly leading to a cure for CHB. The research uses proprietary technologies from Lion TCR Pte Ltd on TCR-T cell therapy invented by Prof Antonio Bertoletti.

About Lion TCR Pte Ltd

Lion TCR is a clinical-stage T cell immunotherapy company specialized on the development and commercialisation of its proprietary technologic and T cell products against viral-related cancers. In Asia, out of every 5 cancer, 1 is caused by viral infection. The company is a world leader in HBV specific TCR redirected T cell therapy against HCC.

]]>2017-08-07T11:03:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184578-0.shtmlSYDNEY, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Novogen Ltd (ASX: NRT; NASDAQ: NVGN), an Australian oncology drug development company, is pleased to provide an update to investors on progress with its clinical-stage development candidate, Cantrixil (TRXE-002-1).

Phase I Clinical Trial in Ovarian Cancer Progressing to Plan

Novogen commenced a phase I clinical trial of Cantrixil in ovarian cancer in December 2016. The study is primarily designed to understand the safety profile of Cantrixil in human subjects, and to establish a Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) for the drug.

In accordance with common practice for phase I studies, patients will initially be administered very low doses of Cantrixil, with doses carefully escalated in subsequent patients under careful monitoring by clinicians according to safety and tolerability criteria. Once the MTD has been established, the study will expand recruitment to additional patients in order to further establish safety and explore signals of clinical efficacy.

As at 1st August, the Cantrixil study had successfully progressed through a number of dose levels and participating patients were being carefully monitored for safety. The study continues to recruit patients under the oversight of the investigating clinicians.

Five hospitals are participating in the study, and all sites are open to recruitment, after approval by their respective Human Research Ethics Committees. The participating sites are listed below.

Site

State

Country

Westmead Hospital

NSW

Australia

Flinders Medical Centre

SA

Australia

ICON Cancer Care

QLD

Australia

Peggy & Charles Stephenson Cancer Center

Oklahoma

USA

Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center

Texas

USA

A sixth hospital had originally planned to participate, but withdrew from the study as the clinician due to oversee the trial moved to a different role with another hospital. The withdrawal is not anticipated to have any material impact on the study timeline.

The duration of the study will depend on how many times the dose levels can be escalated before the MTD is established. A higher MTD will result in a longer study, but typically implies a better tolerated drug. Based on the current study progress, Novogen anticipates that it will be able to report the MTD in the first quarter of calendar 2018. It is anticipated that exploratory efficacy data from the additional patients will be available later in calendar 2018.

Novogen CEO, Dr James Garner, commented, "We are pleased with progress to date in the phase I study of Cantrixil. Novogen is fortunate to be working with highly-experienced clinicians at leading trial centers. We remain excited by the potential for Cantrixil to become an important addition to the treatment landscape in ovarian cancer and are grateful to those patients who are participating in the study."

To support continued conduct of the phase I clinical trial in ovarian cancer, Novogen is in the process of engaging a Contract Manufacturing Organization to produce a second batch of clinical trial material under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. This material will be used to ensure uninterrupted supply to clinical trial sites as the study progresses.

Intellectual Property

The intellectual property portfolio around Cantrixil has been strengthened with the granting of two new patents.

The patent covering Cantrixil has proceeded to grant in the United States on 11 July 2017. In addition, the patent covering Cantrixil has also proceed to grant in the European Union on 2 August 2017. These are important milestones for Cantrixil as they serve to protect the intellectual property associated with the molecule in the world's largest two markets.

Novogen has applied for patent protection in a total of 25 jurisdictions worldwide, and these applications continue to move forward according to each authority's specific process.

About the Cantrixil (TRXE-E-002-1) development candidate

Cantrixil is a cyclodextrin-based formulation of the active ingredient, TRX-E-002-1, which has shown in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activity in a range of tumor types. The Company anticipates that, if approved, the drug product would be used as an intra-peritoneal chemotherapy, either alone or in combination with other agents, and in one or more cancers of the abdominal or pelvic cavity (e.g. ovarian, uterine, colorectal or gastric carcinomas). A first-in-human clinical study in patients with ovarian cancer is currently underway.

About Novogen Limited

Novogen Limited (ASX: NRT; NASDAQ: NVGN) is an emerging oncology-focused biotechnology company, based in Sydney, Australia. Novogen has a portfolio of development candidates, diversified across several distinct technologies, with the potential to yield first-in-class and best- in-class agents in a range of oncology indications.

The lead program is GDC-0084, a small molecule inhibitor of the PI3K / AKT / mTOR pathway, which is being developed to treat glioblastoma multiforme. Licensed from Genentech in late 2016, GDC-0084 is anticipated to enter phase II clinical trials in 2017. A second clinical program, TRXE-002-01 (Cantrixil) commenced a phase I clinical trial in ovarian cancer in December 2016. In addition, the company has several preclinical programs in active development, the largest of which is substantially funded by a CRC-P grant from the Australian Federal Government.

]]>2017-08-04T12:42:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184507-0.shtmlJECHEON, South Korea, Aug. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Jecheon in central South Korea will play host to an international exhibition focused on the Korean medicine and biotech industry in September in a bid to develop the Korean herbal medicine-based biotech industry into a future growth engine, organizers said Thursday.

South Korea's Jecheon to host international expo on Korean medicine, biotech industry in September

The upcoming World Korean Medicine-Bio Industry Expo comes six years after the Jecheon municipality in North Chungcheong Province held an inaugural international fair on "hanbang", or traditional Korean medicine, and the Korean biotech industry in 2010. Through the fair, Jecheon has been able to promote its image as an industrial town centered around hanbang.

Themed "Recreation of Korean Medicine-Evolve into the Korean Medicine Bio Industry", the event will open at the Korean Medicine Expo Park in Jecheon on Sept. 22 for a 19-day run.

The envisioned exhibition is expected to bring together 800,000 people, including 40,000 foreign tourists, with representatives from 250 South Korean and foreign companies to hold business and export negotiations with more than 3,500 buyers.

North Chungcheong Gov. Lee Si-jong, who serves as chief of the exhibition's organizing committee, said that this year's hanbang and biotech industry fair, which has gained the status of a business to business-oriented international event from the government, aims at intensifying the government pitch for the importance and effectiveness of building up the Korean medicine and biotech industry.

The governor also expected, "The Korean herbal medicine-biotech industry in Jecheon, created through a fusion of the biotech industry developed by the North Chungcheong provincial government and Jecheon's Korean medicine industry, will take the stage as a future industry."

Joung Sa-whan, secretary-general of the organizing committee, said the exhibition will give a boon to the global natural product market, closely related with the Korean medicine industry, given that the industries of Korean medicine, biotech and natural products are expected to take the lead in the development of the fourth industrial revolution that is underway worldwide.

The global natural product market, estimated at around 1,000 trillion won (US$890.47 billion), is forecast to grow at a clip of 8-10 percent per annum, Joung said.

The regional government and the Jecheon municipality will co-host the exhibition, while 19 government agencies and public institutions, including the ministries of industry and trade, interior, culture and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, are to give support to the event.

]]>2017-08-04T04:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184481-0.shtmlConference call to take place Thursday, August 4, 2017 at 8:30 am Eastern time

ISNES, Belgium, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: VNRX) today announced it will host a conference call on Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 8:30 am Eastern time to discuss its financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2017, in conjunction with the filing of its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Cameron Reynolds, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volition, will host the call along with David Vanston, Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell, Executive Vice President. The call will provide an update on recent developments and Volition's international activities, including details of new and ongoing clinical trials, important events which have taken place in this quarter and milestones for the rest of 2017.

To participate in the call, please dial 1-877-407-9716 (toll-free) in the U.S. and Canada, 0-800-756- 3429 (toll-free) in the U.K., and 1-201-493-6779 (toll) internationally. The conference ID number is 13668238.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available on the investor relations page of Volition's corporate website at http://ir.volitionrx.com. In addition, a telephone replay of the call will be available until August 24, 2017. The replay dial-in numbers are 1-844-512-2921 (toll-free) in the U.S. and Canada and 1-412-317-6671 (toll) internationally. Please use replay pin number 13668238.

About Volition

Volition is a multi-national life sciences company developing simple, easy to use blood-based cancer tests to accurately diagnose a range of cancers. The tests are based on the science of Nucleosomics®, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid -- an indication that disease is present.

As cancer screening programs become more and more widespread, our products aim to help to diagnose a range of cancers quickly, simply, accurately and cost effectively. Early diagnosis has the potential to not only prolong the life of patients, but also to improve their quality of life.

Volition's research and development activities are currently centered in Belgium, with additional offices in London, Texas and Singapore, as the company focuses on bringing its diagnostic products to market first in Europe, then in the U.S. and ultimately, worldwide.

The contents found at Volition's website address, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this document. The addresses for Volition's website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are included in this document as inactive textual references only.

Statements in this press release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that concern matters that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "aims," "targets," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "optimizing," "potential," "goal," "suggests," "could," "would," "should," "may," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to the effectiveness of Volition's bodily-fluid-based diagnostic tests as well as Volition's ability to develop and successfully commercialize such test platforms for early detection of cancer. Volition's actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties. For instance, if we fail to develop and commercialize diagnostic products, we may be unable to execute our plan of operations. Other risks and uncertainties include Volition's failure to obtain necessary regulatory clearances or approvals to distribute and market future products in the clinical IVD market; a failure by the marketplace to accept the products in Volition's development pipeline or any other diagnostic products Volition might develop; Volition will face fierce competition and Volition's intended products may become obsolete due to the highly competitive nature of the diagnostics market and its rapid technological change; and other risks identified in Volition's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other documents that Volition files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Volition's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and, except as required by law, Volition does not undertake an obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

Nucleosomics®, NuQ®, Nu.QTM and HyperGenomics® and their respective logos are trademarks and/or service marks of VolitionRx Limited and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this press release are the property of their respective owners. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, all references to "$" refer to the legal currency of the United States of America.

DARMSTADT, Germany, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a "Notice of Intention to Grant" for Merck's patent application covering the company's CRISPR technology used in a genomic integration method for eukaryotic cells.

The patent will provide Merck's CRISPR genomic integration technology with broad protection, further strengthening the company's patent portfolio. A related patent was approved in Australia in June 2017. Merck anticipates favourable outcomes in other countries as well, because many patent offices worldwide consider the status of related European cases to be highly relevant to the decision to grant patents.

"This is a significant and exciting decision by the EPO, and we view this announcement as recognition of Merck's important contributions to the genome-editing field," said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "This patent provides protection for our CRISPR technology, which will give scientists the ability to advance treatment options for the toughest medical challenges we face today."

With Merck's CRISPR genomic integration technology, scientists can replace a disease-associated mutation with a beneficial or functional sequence – a method important for creation of disease models and gene therapy. Scientists can also use the method to insert transgenes to enable basic research, using the technology to label endogenous proteins for visual tracking within cells, for example.

This patent application is one of Merck's multiple CRISPR patent filings since 2012. In May 2017, Merck introduced an alternative CRISPR genome-editing method called proxy-CRISPR. Unlike other systems, the proxy-CRISPR technique allows cutting of previously unreachable cell locations, making CRISPR more efficient, flexible and specific—giving researchers more experimental options.

Merck, with its 14-year history in the genome-editing field, was the first company to offer custom biomolecules globally for genome editing (TargeTron™ RNA-guided group II introns and CompoZr™ zinc finger nucleases), driving widespread adoption by researchers. In collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Merck was also the first company to manufacture arrayed CRISPR libraries covering the entire human genome, allowing researchers to explore more questions about disease and develop cures faster. Availability of arrayed CRISPR libraries is an important advancement in genome editing and reinforces the company's leadership position.

The company also supports development of gene- and cell-based therapeutics and manufactures viral vectors, in addition to conducting basic genome-editing research. In 2016, Merck launched an initiative to advance research in novel treatment modalities, from genome editing to gene medicine manufacturing, through a dedicated team and enhanced resources. This venture further solidifies the company's commitment to the genome-editing field.

All Merck news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About MerckMerck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of €15 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Shimadzu has the entire range of general radiography solutions, from fixed ceiling-mounted to floor-mounted systems and mobile X-ray solutions, with or without one to two arms. These are all available all in entry-level to high-end configurations. In 2016, it introduced new technologies such as digital multi-slice tomography with flexible positioning to offer a view of oblique cross sections of the spine and hip joints. Other products include:

SONIALVISION G4, a fluoroscopy product with multi-functionality features

RADspeed Pro EDGE and MobileDaRt Evolution MX7 have already been adopted by more than 100 hospitals worldwide within a year of their introduction.

"In response to customer demand, Shimadzu introduced a sophisticated, remote-controlled, auto-positioning feature in the RADspeed Pro EDGE package. This feature helps the radiographer effortlessly position the tube and fine-tune this positioning to improve patient safety and reduce radiation dose," said Frost & Sullivan Consultant Poornima Srinivasan. "Similarly, it incorporated removable grids to lower radiation exposure during pediatric imaging, and a dose area product meter on the collimator to measure the dose of radiation the patient is exposed to."

Shimadzu's products have proven their utility in guiding hospitals towards the era of value-based healthcare. They achieve that by incorporating a host of novel features and technologies.

The RADspeed Pro EDGE employs cutting-edge technologies like tomosynthesis, speed stitch, and dual energy subtraction. Tomosynthesis combines cone-beam computed tomography (CT) reconstruction with digital image processing so that any number of cross-sectional images can be obtained. The systems also incorporate 'T-smart,' the metal artifact reduction technology that decreases metal artifacts in orthopedic patients. Additionally, it uses speed stitch technology, which combines multiple images that are captured while the X-ray tube is in motion at various angles. Finally, its dual energy subtraction, imaging algorithm, couples with low and high voltages to offer images of soft tissue and bone images separately.

SONIALVISION G4 is capable of a wide range of examinations and is ideal for inter-departmental shared services. The field of view (FOV) flat panel detector (FPD) is available in five sizes and provides an extensive imaging area, ultra-high definition and dynamic images, less radiation exposure, a ceiling-mounted telescopic arm, and a wall stand with a portable FPD. It incorporates technologies such as:

The SUREengine-Advance, an image processing technology that delivers quality fluoro and radiography images

SLOT Advance, an optimal technology for long-view images with a minimal X-ray dose

The MobileDaRt Evolution MX7 Version incorporates a large LCD monitor and LED collimator light that increases brightness up to 40% and saves electricity by 80% when compared to its competing products. It also has a user-friendly design with wireless capability, which allows it to extend its scope of application.

"Shimadzu has leveraged the expertise of key opinion leaders (KOLs), designed training and educational programs, expanded geographically, and made the most of cross-selling opportunities in line with its business goals," noted Ms. Srinivasan. "Additionally, it has partnered with universities to optimize the existing systems and develop further innovations and efficiencies. Shimadzu's discussions with international channels, and focus on gathering input from healthcare professionals have played a huge role in its development of unique products and provision of a rich customer experience."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a comprehensive product line that caters to the breadth of the market it serves. The award recognizes the extent to which the product line meets customer base demands, the overall impact it has in terms of customer value, as well as increased market share.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Shimadzu Corporation

Shimadzu Corporation has remained committed to commercializing cutting-edge technology and providing it to customers in a wide array of industries for more than 140 years. Our brand statement, "Excellence in Science", reflects our desire and attitude to diligently respond to customers' requirements by offering superior, world-class technologies indispensable for analytical and measuring instruments, medical systems, aircraft equipment and industrial machinery in the area of human health, safety and security of society and advancement of industry. In the ever-changing landscape of challenges of society, Shimadzu aims to partner with customers to meet their needs with unique technologies and solutions.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

]]>2017-08-03T09:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184371-0.shtmlTAIPEI, Taiwan, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BioTaiwan 2017 has concluded, wrapping up another exciting round of biotech-themed meet-ups, forums, exhibitions and presentations that take place every year in Taipei, Taiwan. The week-long festival of events included the two-day BioBusiness Asia (BBA) conference, the BioTaiwan Exhibition, the Greater China & Asia-Pacific Opportunities conference, one-on-one partnering and a wide range of seminars and workshops. Overall participation numbers were impressive: 600+ companies, 1310 booths, 350+ partnering sessions, and 90,000+ visitors at the exhibition over the four days. In addition, winners of the annual 2017 Taiwan BIO Awards, showcasing local achievements and organized by the Taiwan Bio-Industry Organization, were announced during the festivities.

BioBusiness Asia this year featured a wide range of session themes with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies including precision medicine, next generation sequencing, artificial intelligence (AI), synthetic biology, cancer immunotherapy, and digital health.

BBA's plenary session entitled 'Trends Shaping the Global Biotech Landscape' was an exploration of technologies and discoveries shaping the current and future direction of healthcare. Speakers included Patrick Flochel, Global Pharmaceutical Life Science Leader, Ernst & Young; Tsay Yuh-geng, venture partner at life science investment firm VIVO Capital and former group president of Thermo Fisher Scientific; Timothy Lu, an associate professor at MIT and serial entrepreneur; and Allen Chao, founding chairman of generic drug company Watson Pharmaceuticals and now CEO of biosimilars firm Tavex BioPharma. In sessions following over the next two days, an equally impressive line up of expert speakers treated participants to a glimpse of what's just around the corner in healthcare technology and business models behind it.

Greater China & Asia-Pacific Opportunities Conference

With the government's 'New Southbound Policy' this year, the conference broadened its coverage to include not only Greater China but also Taiwan's regional neighbors from Southeast Asia. Presentations introduced Vietnam, Indonesia, and on ASEAN-located opportunities in the health and life sciences arena.

BioTaiwan Exhibition 2017

International participation in the four-day BioTaiwan Exhibition, both booth holders and visitors, has always been healthy, and this year was particularly encouraging -- companies from fifteen countries were hosted, including Australia, the US, and Japan. Overall more than 600 companies were on show at 1310 booths, with 90,000+ visitors over the four days.

Taiwan's strengths on show at BioTaiwan 2017

BioTaiwan has grown in step with Taiwan's development as a biotech regional powerhouse and is now one of Asia's most important biotech-themed gatherings. It's also a great chance to see first hand examples of the direction Taiwan is heading and the opportunities that are opening up, particularly with the convergence of digital and medical technologies. For example, speakers and presentations at BBA highlighted Taiwan's existing strengths in ICT, and growing capabilities in the newly emerging realms of IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (artificial intelligence); all of which are transferable to medical device development, device-drug combinations, digital health/mobile health/e-health.

With precision medicine being a focus of many of BioTaiwan's meetings, it's also clear that Taiwan is well placed to take a leading role by combining capabilities in drug development, diagnostics, devices and utilizing Big Data analytics methodology. Recognized for these capabilities, Taiwan has been invited to join in the US Cancer Moonshot program, essentially a precision medicine development initiative, set up by former Vice President Biden in 2016.

All sectors of the life science industry in Taiwan, including biotech, pharma, diagnostics and medical devices, are currently undergoing high levels of growth. With the government's goals for the industry being to foster 20 new drugs and 80 high-value medical devices in global markets, and create 10 flagship brands in health services all by 2025, with the target total revenue of NT$1 trillion (US$33 billion), and with industry confidence levels at an all time high, the outlook is extremely positive.

BioTaiwan 2017 has concluded, and it was another exciting and memorable occasion. We look forward to seeing you all again in Taipei, Taiwan for BioTaiwan 2018, July 18-22!

]]>2017-08-03T05:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184363-0.shtml--2Q17 Total Sales Up 2.5% YoY and Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income Up 15.0% YoY in RMB terms, or Total Sales Down 2.3% YoY to $89.3 Million and Net Income Up 0.6% YoY to $31.0 Million in USD terms--

--1H17 Total Sales Up 7.4% YoY and Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income Up 21.8% YoY in RMB terms, or Total Sales Up 2.1% YoY to $180.7 Million and Net Income Up 7.0% YoY to $61.0 Million in USD terms--

--Reiterates Full Year Financial Forecast--

BEIJING, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Biologic Products Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBPO, "China Biologic" or the "Company"), a leading fully integrated plasma-based biopharmaceutical company in China, today announced on behalf of its predecessor China Biologic Products, Inc. the unaudited financial results of China Biologic Products, Inc. for the second quarter of 2017.

Second Quarter 2017 Financial Highlights

Total sales in the second quarter of 2017 increased by 2.5% in RMB terms, or decreased by 2.3% in USD terms, to $89.3 million from $91.4 million in the same quarter of 2016.

Gross profit decreased by 1.2% to $59.2 million from $59.9 million in the same quarter of 2016. Gross margin increased slightly to 66.3% from 65.6% in the same quarter of 2016.

Income from operations decreased by 8.4% to $39.4 million from $43.0 million in the same quarter of 2016. Operating margin decreased to 44.1% from 47.1% in the same quarter of 2016.

Net income attributable to China Biologic Products, Inc. increased by 0.6% to $31.0 million from $30.8 million in the same quarter of 2016. Diluted earnings per share was $1.09, as compared to $1.10 in the same quarter of 2016.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to China Biologic Products, Inc. increased by 15.0% in RMB terms, or 9.4% in USD terms, to $38.5 million from $35.2 million in the same quarter of 2016. Non-GAAP adjusted earningsper share increased to $1.35 from $1.26 in the same quarter of 2016.

Mr. David (Xiaoying) Gao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of China Biologic, commented, "Our second quarter financial results were impacted by several factors, including government healthcare reform measures, greater market competition in the plasma category and slower volume growth due to the planned production suspension at our Shandong facility. Required government healthcare reform measures implemented by hospitals, which include the 'zero markup for drugs' policy and greater control over the ratio of drug sales to total hospital revenue, resulted in slower revenue growth for our primary plasma products – albumin and IVIG. Additionally, we experienced intensified competition for plasma product sales in the distributor channel as a result of faster-than-expected implementation of the two invoice policy nationwide as well as higher albumin import volume, resulting in lower albumin sales volume in the second quarter of 2017.

We experienced a number of developments in the second quarter which supported our growth. Our past efforts to pursue direct sales to hospitals resulted in more stabilized albumin and IVIG pricing and a moderate volume growth in this channel compared to the more competitive distributor channel. We were also actively pursuing new sales channels and strategic partners including new distributors and retail pharmacy chains. Sales from newer products including our higher margin hyper-immune products and coagulation factor products continued to experience a healthy volume growth and represent a higher percentage of total sales, contributing to our year-over-year improvement in gross margin and non-GAAP net margin in the second quarter.

We continued to advance with our new facility construction and R&D development. At our new Shandong facility, we completed the first phase of production suspension at the old facility to pursue the new facility's simulation test, and the second phase of production suspension for trial operation remains on track. We continue to expect completion of the GMP certificate inspection and commencement of operations at the new site by the end of this year. On the R&D front, we expect to receive the final approval of Fibrinogen by the CFDA in the third quarter and aim to generate sales before the end of the year."

"As we move into the second half of 2017, we are expecting the implementation of certain government healthcare policies that could potentially result in positive impacts on our business, including broadened reimbursable indications and increased reimbursable maximums for our major plasma products, once various revised provincial drug reimbursement lists are implemented. We also expect possible improved product pricing in Shandong and Jiangsu at the conclusion of the long awaited tendering process. We remain focused on completing our new plant construction and shortening our production shut down time for GMP approval at our Shandong facility, maximizing market share within existing distribution channels and developing new strategies to expand our sales channels, successfully managing public tenders in various local markets to secure optimized pricing opportunities, further investing in our medical marketing platform to accelerate volume for newly launched products, introducing promising clinical-stage products to the market, and exploring new business growth opportunities. Finally, we reiterate our full year financial forecast and believe we can enhance our total sales and operating efficiency to meet growing market demand in the quarters ahead," concluded Mr. Gao.

Second Quarter 2017 Financial Performance

Total sales in the second quarter of 2017 increased by 2.5% in RMB terms, or decreased by 2.3% in USD terms, to $89.3 million from $91.4 million in the same quarter of 2016. The increase was primarily attributable to the sales increase in hyper-immune products, mainly including human rabies immunoglobulin and human tetanus immunoglobulin, partially offset by the decrease of sales in human albumin products and placenta polypeptide products.

During the second quarter of 2017, human albumin and IVIG products remained the two largest sales contributors. As a percentage of total sales, sales from human albumin products decreased to 36.3% in the second quarter of 2017, compared to 41.2% in the same quarter of 2016. The sales volume of human albumin products decreased by 7.4% in the second quarter of 2017. The decrease largely reflected the inventory control associated with the production suspension at the Shandong facility, as well as the negative impact of recent changes in market dynamics, including intensified market competition in distribution channels and government healthcare reform measures limiting hospitals' purchase power. Revenue from IVIG products accounted for 33.3% of total sales in the second quarter of 2017, as compared to 33.6% in the same quarter of 2016. The sales volume of IVIG products remained stable in the second quarter of 2017.

The average price for human albumin products decreased by 2.7% and 7.3% in RMB and in USD terms, respectively, in the second quarter of 2017, mainly due to the combined effect of both a decrease in price we charged certain distributors reflecting the intensified market competition and a lower sales proportion from the higher-unit-price dosages. The average price for IVIG products, excluding foreign exchange impact, would have increased by 1.2% in RMB terms, or decreased by 3.6% in USD terms, in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the same quarter of 2016.

Revenue from other immunoglobulin products increased by 54.9% in USD terms in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the same quarter of 2016, reaching 14.2% of total sales, as compared to 9.0% of total sales in the same quarter of 2016, mainly due to sales increase of human rabies immunoglobulin and human tetanus immunoglobulin, which reflected our enhanced production volume in response to strong market demand in the second quarter of 2017 compared with the same period last year. And revenue from human coagulation factor VIII and human prothrombin complex concentrate, which are included in other plasma products, also increased by 47.2% and 40.1% in RMB term and USD term, respectively, in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the same quarter of 2016, representing 5.9% of total sales as compared to 4.3% of total sales in the same quarter of 2016. This reflects our continued medical marketing activities.

Revenue from placenta polypeptide products decreased by 11.1% and 15.6% in RMB terms and USD terms, respectively, in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the same quarter of 2016, reaching 10.3% of total sales, attributable to a decrease in sales volume in the second quarter of 2017 following higher-than-normal product sales volume in the first quarter of 2017, compared with a high comparison base in the same period in 2016.

Cost of sales was $30.1 million in the second quarter of 2017, down 4.4% from $31.5 million in the same quarter of 2016. As a percentage of total sales, cost of sales slightly decreased to 33.7%, as compared to 34.4% in the same quarter of 2016. The decrease was mainly due to a greater proportion of sales derived from hyper-immune products with a high profit margin.

Gross profit decreased by 1.2% to $59.2 million in the second quarter of 2017 from $59.9 million in the same quarter of 2016. Gross margin was 66.3% and 65.6% in the second quarter of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2017 increased by 17.2% to $19.8 million from $16.9 million in the same quarter of 2016, mainly due to increases in general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of total sales, total operating expenses increased to 22.2% in the second quarter of 2017 from 18.5% in the same quarter of 2016.

Selling expenses in the second quarter of 2017 increased by 20.0% to $3.6 million from $3.0 million in the same quarter of 2016. As a percentage of total sales, selling expenses increased to 4.0% in the second quarter in 2017 from 3.3% the same quarter of 2016, primarily due to higher marketing and promotion costs related to certain hyper-immune products, coagulation factor products and placenta polypeptide products.

General and administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2017 increased by 13.5% to $14.3 million compared to $12.6 million in the same quarter of 2016. As a percentage of total sales, general and administrative expenses increased to 16.0% in the second quarter of 2017 from 13.8% in the same quarter of 2016. The increase in general and administrative expenses was mainly due to a $3.4 million increase in share-based compensation expenses. We also had a $1.2 million prepayment provision in the second quarter of 2016. Excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses, general and administrative expenses would have been 6.9% and 8.6% as a percentage of total sales in the second quarter of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Research and development expenses in the second quarter of 2017 increased by 46.2% to $1.9 million from $1.3 million in the same quarter of 2016, primarily due to increased expenditures incurred for certain clinical trial programs in the second quarter 2017.

Income from operations for the second quarter of 2017 decreased by 8.4% to $39.4 million from $43.0 million in the same period of 2016. Operating margin decreased to 44.1% in the second quarter of 2017 from 47.1% in the same quarter of 2016.

Income tax expense in the second quarter of 2017 was $6.9 million, compared to $7.0 million in the same quarter of 2016, representing a decrease of 1.4%. The effective income tax rate was 16.5% and 15.7% in the second quarter of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Net incomeattributable to China Biologic Products, Inc. was $31.0 million in the second quarter of 2017 as compared to $30.8 million in the same quarter of 2016. Net margin increased to 34.8% compared to 33.6% in the same quarter of 2016. Diluted earnings per share was $1.09 in the second quarter of 2017 compared to $1.10 in the same quarter of 2016.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to China Biologic Products, Inc. increased by 15.0% in RMB terms, or 9.4% in USD terms, to $38.5 million in the second quarter of 2017 from $35.2 million in the same quarter of 2016. Non-GAAP net margin increased to 43.1% from 38.5% in the same quarter of 2016. Non-GAAP adjusted earnings per diluted share increased to $1.35 in the second quarter of 2017 from $1.26 in the same quarter of 2016.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income and diluted earnings per share exclude non-cash employee share-based compensation expenses of $7.5 million and $4.4 million, for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

First Half 2017 Financial Performance

Total sales in the first half of 2017 increased by 7.4% in RMB terms, or 2.1% in USD terms, to $180.7 million from $177.0 million in the same period of 2016. The increase in sales was primarily attributable to a sales increase in placenta polypeptide products, certain hyper-immune products and human albumin. As a percentage of total sales, sales from human albumin products and IVIG products accounted for 38.3% and 34.0%, respectively, for the first half of 2017.

Cost of sales decreased by 4.9% to $62.3 million in the first half of 2017, compared to $65.5 million in the same period of 2016. Cost of sales as a percentage of total sales was 34.5%, a decrease from 37.0% in the same period of 2016. The decrease in cost of sales as a percentage of total sales was mainly due to a greater sales proportion of higher-margin hyper-immune products and placenta polypeptide products, as well as lower sales proportion of high-cost outsourced raw plasma.

Gross profit increased by 6.2% to $118.4 million in the first half of 2017 from $111.5 million in the same period of 2016. Gross margin was 65.5% in the first half of 2017, compared to 63.0% in the same period of 2016.

Total operating expenses in the first half of 2017 increased 31.4% to $40.2 million from $30.6 million in the same period of 2016. As a percentage of total sales, total operating expenses increased to 22.2% for the first half of 2017 from 17.3% in the same period of 2016, mainly due to an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Income from operations in the first half of 2017 decreased by 3.3% to $78.2 million from $80.9 million in the same period of 2016.

Income tax expense in the first half of 2017 was $13.8 million, as compared to $13.6 million in the same period of 2016. The effective income tax rate was 16.6% and 16.2% for the first half of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Net incomeattributable to China Biologic Products, Inc. increased by 7.0% to $61.0 million for the first half of 2017 from $57.0 million in the same period of 2016. Net margin was 33.8% and 32.2% for the first half of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to China Biologic Products, Inc. increased by 21.8% in RMB terms, or 15.7% in USD terms, to $75.9 million in the first half of 2017 from $65.6 million in the same period of 2016. Non-GAAP adjusted earnings per diluted share increased to $2.67 for the first half of 2017 from $2.36 in the same period of 2016.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income and diluted earnings per share exclude non-cash employee share-based compensation expenses of $14.9 million and $8.6 million, for the first half of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

As of June 30, 2017, China Biologic Products, Inc. had $223.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, primarily consisting of cash on hand and demand deposits.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the first half of 2017 was $36.9 million, as compared to $57.0 million for the same period in 2016. The decrease in net cash provided by operating activities was largely due to increases in accounts receivable and inventories. Accounts receivable increased by $26.1 million during the first half of 2017, as compared to $13.9 million during the same period in 2016. The accounts receivable turnover days for plasma products increased to 51 days during the first half of 2017 from 35 days during the same period in 2016, which was a combined result of a higher percentage of direct sales and a higher concentration of large hospital customers and distributor customers that typically request longer credit terms

Inventories increased by $22.8 million in the first half of 2017, mainly comprising of increases in outsourced and self-collected raw material plasma. This increase was higher than the inventory increase of $12.5 million during the same period in 2016, primarily because of the inventory stockpile to prepare for the planned temporary production suspension at the Shandong facility.

Net cash used in investing activities for the first half of 2017 was $16.6 million, as compared to $26.3 million for the same period in 2016. During the first half of 2017 and 2016, China Biologic Products, Inc. paid $16.6 million and $26.6 million, respectively, for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment, land use rights and intangible assets for Shandong Taibang and Guizhou Taibang. In addition, during the six months ended June 30, 2016, China Biologic Products, Inc. granted a loan of $6.3 million to Xinjiang Deyuan pursuant to a cooperation agreement in August 2015.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the first half of 2017 was $14.8 million, as compared to $32.2 million for the same period in 2016. Net cash provided by financing activities in the first half of 2017 mainly consisted of $14.3 million short-term loan net proceeds. Net cash provided by financing activities for the first half of 2016 mainly consisted of $2.4 million proceeds from the exercise of stock options and the maturity of a $37.8 million time deposit as a security collateral for a 24-month loan which was fully repaid in June 2015, partially offset by a dividend of $7.9 million paid to the noncontrolling shareholder by Shandong Taibang.

Financial Outlook

The Company reiterates its full year 2017 financial forecast of total sales growth of 13% to 15% in RMB terms and non-GAAP adjusted net income growth of 18% to 20% in RMB terms over 2016 financial results. This forecast factors into a cumulative three month production suspension at the Company's Shandong facility in connection with plant transition.

This guidance does not factor in any potential foreign currency translation impact. Having previously adopted an exchange rate of approximately RMB6.63 = $1.00 based on weighted average quarterly exchange rates in 2016 in translating 2016 financial results, the Company expects that the total sales and non-GAAP adjusted net income in USD terms in 2017 will be adversely affected by the foreign currency translation impact.

This guidance also assumes only organic growth, excluding potential acquisitions, and necessarily assumes no significant adverse product price changes during 2017. This forecast reflects the Company's current and preliminary views, which are subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call at 7:30 am Eastern Time on Thursday, August 3, 2017, which is 7:30 pm Beijing Time on August 3, 2017, to discuss second quarter 2017 results and answer questions from investors. Listeners may access the call by dialing:

US:

1 888 346 8982

International:

1 412 902 4272

Hong Kong:

800 905 945

China:

400 120 1203

A telephone replay will be available one hour after the conclusion of the conference all through August 10, 2017. The dial-in details are:

China Biologic Products Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBPO) is a leading fully integrated plasma-based biopharmaceutical company in China. The Company's products are used as critical therapies during medical emergencies and for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening diseases and immune-deficiency related diseases. China Biologic is headquartered in Beijing and manufactures over 20 different dosage forms of plasma products through its indirect majority-owned subsidiary, Shandong Taibang Biological Products Co., Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Guizhou Taibang Biological Products Co., Ltd. The Company also has an equity investment in Xi'an Huitian Blood Products Co., Ltd. The Company sells its products to hospitals, distributors and other healthcare facilities in China. For additional information, please see the Company's website www.chinabiologic.com.

Non-GAAP Disclosure

This news release contains non-GAAP financial measures that exclude non-cash compensation expenses related to options and restricted shares granted to employees and directors under the Company's 2008 Equity Incentive Plan. To supplement the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, the Company has provided non-GAAP financial information excluding the impact of these items in this release. The Company's management believes that its presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplementary information to and facilitates additional analysis by investors. A reconciliation of the adjustments to GAAP results appears in the table accompanying this news release. This additional non-GAAP information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financials. The non-GAAP financial information that the Company provides also may differ from the non-GAAP information provided by other companies.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of China Biologic Products Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intend," "believe," "expect," "are expected to," "will," or similar expressions, and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Among other things, the Company's plans regarding the production and sale of plasma products made from the purchased raw materials and the management's quotations and forecast of the Company's financial performance in this news release contain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect.

Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including, without limitation, quality of purchased source plasma, potential delay or failure to complete construction of new collection facilities, potential inability to pass government inspection and certification process for existing and new facilities, potential inability to achieve the designed collection capacities at the new collection facilities, potential inability to achieve the expected operating and financial performance, potential inability to find alternative sources of plasma, potential inability to increase production at permitted sites, potential inability to mitigate the financial consequences of a temporarily reduced raw plasma supply through cost cutting or other efficiencies, and potential additional regulatory restrictions on its operations and those additional risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

By controlling dangerous inflammation, CytoSorb® is enabling superior outcomes in critically-ill patients, with reduced overall costs of intensive care in its sights

LONDON, Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the blood purification market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes CytoSorbents Corporation with the 2017 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Leadership. CytoSorbents' deceptively simple yet powerful blood purification therapy, CytoSorb®, helps critical care physicians and heart surgeons control deadly inflammation in their patients. CytoSorb® actively reduces circulating cytokines, toxins, and other substances in blood that feed and perpetuate uncontrolled inflammation in a diverse set of medical emergencies such as sepsis, infection, trauma, cardiac surgery, and liver failure. Its ultimate aim is to prevent a patient from being killed by his or her own out-of-control immune response.

"There were many factors that led to our selection of CytoSorb® for this year's Global Product Leadership Award," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Aish Vivek. "Among the most important was the recognition that this innovative product is surprisingly well-positioned to help solve two long-standing, difficult, and tightly linked fundamental problems with hospital medicine today. These include the high rates of death from common critical illnesses such as sepsis that have no approved treatment, and the resulting staggering costs and losses in critical care that are financially crippling hospital networks and healthcare systems throughout the world."

"Further strengthening CytoSorb's position is the scarcity of viable competition in the lucrative and vast global critical care and cardiac surgery markets, the strong physician usage and revenue growth, and the external validation from well-respected industry partners, such as Fresenius Medical Care and Terumo Cardiovascular, and government funding agencies. As a high margin, single-use product that works with existing blood pumps in hospitals, CytoSorb® also has an attractive business model that is expected to drive early and significant profitability of the company."

"CytoSorb® has taken blood purification as a means to control inflammation to the next level, with its patented blood compatible, porous polymer bead technology," concluded Aish Vivek. "This best-of-breed solution is approved in the European Union and has been used in more than 23,000 treatments to help save many lives across 44 countries. As the clinical experience and scientific publications continue to grow, we predict that CytoSorbents, through CytoSorb®, will solidify its leadership in critical care and cardiac surgery, with expansion into other promising fields such as cancer immunotherapy, and treatment of chronic illness. We are also excited to follow along as CytoSorbents initiates a registration trial later this year that targets U.S. FDA approval."

Overall, for positioning itself strongly with its CytoSorb® therapy and serving a wide array of applications, Frost & Sullivan is pleased to present CytoSorbents with the 2017 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Leadership in the blood purification market.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality, gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About CytoSorbents Corporation

CytoSorbents Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSO) is a leader in critical care immunotherapy, specializing in blood purification. Its flagship product, CytoSorb®, is approved in the European Union with distribution in 44 countries worldwide, as a safe and effective extracorporeal cytokine adsorber, designed to reduce the "cytokine storm" or "cytokine release syndrome" that could otherwise cause massive inflammation, organ failure and death in common critical illnesses such as sepsis, burn injury, trauma, lung injury, complications of surgery, cancer immunotherapy, and pancreatitis. These are conditions where the risk of death is extremely high, yet no effective treatments exist. CytoSorb® is also being used during and after cardiac surgery to remove inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and free hemoglobin, which can lead to post-operative complications, including multiple organ failure. In 2017, the company plans to initiate a pivotal REFRESH 2 trial intended to support U.S. FDA approval. CytoSorb® has been used safely in more than 23,000 human treatments to date.

CytoSorbents' purification technologies are based on biocompatible, highly porous polymer beads that can actively remove toxic substances from blood and other bodily fluids by pore capture and surface adsorption. Its technologies have received non-dilutive grant, contract, and other funding in excess of $19 million from DARPA, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and others. The Company has numerous products under development based upon this unique blood purification technology, protected by 32 issued U.S. patents, multiple international patents, and many applications pending worldwide. Products under development include CytoSorb-XL™, HemoDefend™, VetResQ™, ContrastSorb, DrugSorb, and others. Visit www.cytosorbents.com and www.cytosorb.com

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

]]>2017-08-02T16:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184319-0.shtmlTwo new chapters complete The Unbeatables graphic novel designed to raise awareness of the unrecognized Super Heroes of the global IBD community

OSAKA, Japan, Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited [TSE: 4502], with the support of Marvel Custom Solutions, today announced the debut of the final two chapters of the full graphic novel featuring The Unbeatables, a team of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) Super Heroes. Launched in July 2016, IBD Unmasked is a first-of-its-kind global initiative designed to raise awareness of the unrecognized Super Heroes of the global IBD community and provide educational resources and support for people living with IBD, as well as the sidekicks who support them. Takeda is the first pharmaceutical company to partner with Marvel Custom Solutions on a disease awareness campaign raising awareness of health conditions.

The Unbeatables and the graphic novel were created by Marvel Custom Solutions in collaboration with a panel of people living with IBD from around the globe. The first chapter premiered at the popular London Comic Con in 2016, while the second chapter was revealed earlier this year on World IBD Day (19 May). The graphic novel features all five of The Unbeatables, Samarium, Switchback, Luminaria, Datawave and Rubblerouser, as they take on their enemy, Technonaut. Some of The Unbeatables have Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), the two most common types of IBD, while others take care of family members or patients with the condition.

"Only a person with IBD can understand what it is truly like. It can be very difficult, and it's really important that your environment and those who surround you provide support and understanding," said Chantel Wicks, IBD Unmasked patient panel member. "IBD Unmasked has shed light on the patient experience and given me the opportunity to have a positive impact on the IBD community."

There are more than five million people worldwide who live with IBD. Everyday activities like getting together with friends and family or going to the cinema may be challenging for them. IBD affects people of all ages, and diagnosis is most common in early adulthood.

"It was a unique and rewarding challenge to work on IBD Unmasked and collaborate directly with patients with IBD to create an inspiring new graphic novel," said Fabian Nicieza, writer of The Unbeatables graphic novel and co-creator of Deadpool. "We are proud to have created a group of heroic characters living with IBD and a dramatic adventure story that will raise awareness and empower people living with IBD."

The full IBD Unmasked graphic novel is available online at www.IBDunmasked.com, where visitors can also create and share their own Super Hero avatar, take part in quizzes and download tips to help them talk to their doctor, family or friends about IBD.

"When we launched IBD Unmasked, we wanted to provide inspiration for people living with IBD, and to recognize the truly heroic journey they go through in an authentic way," explained Elissa Johnsen, Senior Director, Global Product & Pipeline Communications, Takeda. "During the past year, IBD Unmasked and our partnerships with patients, physicians and Marvel have enabled us to support those living with IBD in a meaningful and creative way."

Follow the Super Heroes story and conversation on the Twitter handle, @IBDunmasked, and via #IBDunmasked. Note: the site will direct visitors to appropriate site and language, based on their location.

About Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are two of the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Both UC and CD are chronic, relapsing, remitting, inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that are often progressive in nature. UC only involves the large intestine as opposed to CD which can affect any part of the GI tract from mouth to anus. CD can also affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall, while UC only involves the innermost lining of the large intestine. UC often presents with symptoms of abdominal discomfort, loose bowel movements, including blood or pus. CD commonly presents with symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss. The cause of UC or CD is not fully understood, however recent research suggests hereditary, genetics, environmental factors and/or an abnormal immune response to microbial antigens in genetically predisposed individuals can lead to UC or CD.

Takeda's Commitment to Gastroenterology More than 70 million people worldwide are impacted by gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, which can be complex, debilitating and life-changing. Takeda is driven to improving the lives of patients with GI diseases through innovative medicines, dedicated patient disease management support and the evolution of the healthcare environment. Takeda is leading in gastroenterology through the delivery of innovative medicines in areas associated with high unmet needs, such as inflammatory bowel disease, acid-related diseases and motility disorders. Our GI research & development team is also exploring solutions in celiac disease and liver diseases, as well as scientific advancements through microbiome therapies. With more than 25 years of experience in this area, our broad approach to treating many diseases that impact the GI system and our global network of collaborators, Takeda aims to advance how patients manage their disease.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda (TSE: 4502) is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global leaders of the industry, Takeda is committed to strive towards better health for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. Additional information about Takeda is available through its corporate website, www.takeda.com.

SHANGHAI, Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the world's leading advanced medical device design and manufacturing exhibitions, Medtec China 2017 will take place on the 20-22 September 2017 at China's Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. The Medtec China 2017 onsite conferences will continue to adhere to the principle of "Professional, authoritative, and rich" to present a series of medical innovation meetings and activities. Conference registration is underway. To register or discover more, please click here.

Speakers from SFDA and CCCMHPIE attend Medtec China 2017 to explore regulatory updates in China, the US and the EU

The "MDiT Forum and Regulation Summit 2017" is always concerned with Regulations, Quality and Technology and presenters will continue to focus on these very three themes. The "Regulation Track A: Chinese Regulatory Updates and Compliance" event has invited Hong Qian, the chief reviewer of Medical Device Registration Department of Shanghai Food and Drug Administration Certification and Evaluation Center, to present on the medical device industry status and the regulation updates; The "Regulation Track B -- Situation Analysis of Medical Device Foreign Trade and Overseas Market Access Strategy" event will be convened by the CCCMHPIE as co-organizer. Tianzhi Cai, Deputy Secretary-General and Director of Medical Devices Division, will give a speech about Analysis on the Overall Situation of Import and Export of Medical Devices and Analysis of Main Foreign Trade. The NAMSA BPMDS Symposium will continue to invite experts to analyse the latest changes of regulations and implementation progress in the European and American markets.

FDA officer in first official introduction about MDSAP at Medtec China

By participating in the MDSAP pilot project, medical device manufacturers are able to enter multiple markets with a single Inspection. William M. Sutton (FDA Assistant Country Director of China) has been invited to introduce issues related to MDSAP and QMS Improvement at the Quality Forum. He will also offer Q & A opportunities in a special spot.

Medtec China 2016 onsite conference

Two technical conferences in strong return; focus on implantable and interventional medical devices and medical combination

The 6th IIMD China Summit (Implantable and Interventional Medical Device) takes place again this year. Topics includes: Import substitution processes for interventional medical devices and development analysis of main products; Natural polymer materials for orthopaedic implants; Metal 3D printing materials; Application and development of bone defect repair material in orthopedic implantations; and the Research and development, application and processing of fully biodegradable Scaffolds (BDS) in coronary therapy. This year's Technology Track B: Technology & Development of Combination Product -- will explore more technology information related to drug-device combination products. Xiaoming Feng, Director of Division of Standardization & Science Research, Institute for Medical Devices Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug control (NIFDC), will deliver an impressive speech entitled "Correlation techniques for drug-device combination product".

Leading the industry with advanced manufacturing technology; free-of-charge events with rich content during the show period

This year Medtec continues to join hands with ASQ to organise the "Quality Control and Management in Manufacturing", and explore how to use supplier-managed quality information systems, how to implement full life cycle quality management and control from the point of view of design, manufacturing and inspection, and the feasibility of BFR non-contact measurement by nickel-titanium alloy equipment for absolute flame temperature tests, among others, in order to offer strategies to RA/QA/QC engineers about how to respond to the rapid development and requirements of quality control systems.

In addition, Medtec China will also continue its previous popular conference "Medical Device Design" and create "Medical Device Packaging and Sterilization Technology," "Processing Techniques of Medical Plastics and Product Innovation," and "Electronic Medical" events to explore the medical device design concept, and manufacturing technology and development trends.

Medtec 2016 onsite scene

Medtec China will continue to organize free forums and events regarding overseas market analysis, new technology presentations and quality side events, including the Siemens lecture Hall that will talk about Digital Enterprise for Medical Devices from Siemens PLM Software, and the Purchasing and communication meeting from Shanghai MicroPort.

To obtain more information, please visit the Medtec China official website: www.medtecchina.com.

]]>2017-08-01T16:12:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184197-0.shtmlA head start will be crucial for healthcare providers to strengthen growth opportunities, finds the Transformational Health Practice team

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare providers in Dubai must prepare for the imminent shift to international refined diagnosis-related group (IR DRG) system or be caught off-guard when pricing structures change in 2018. The new structure will completely transform insurance companies' payment approach to healthcare providers. It aims to eliminate over prescription by moving the burden of cost to the provider itself. In short, providers will be paid a fixed base rate, multiplied by a factor for each DRG code.

"To make their margins, healthcare providers now have to work backwards from the price they will get paid. They will also need to firmly control their costing for each procedure. Failure to do so will result in lower or no margins. Moreover, this must be done without compromising the quality of care and outcome," said Frost & Sullivan Healthcare and Life Sciences Senior Consultant Vivek Shukla.

Frost & Sullivan's Healthcare and Life Sciences team, with its expansive coverage and expertise of the global healthcare industry, finds that even the most efficient hospitals will have areas of improvement when it comes to overall cost optimization. To learn more about IR DRG impact on healthcare providers in Dubai, register for a Growth Strategy Dialogue, or schedule a free interactive briefing with Frost & Sullivan's thought leaders, click here or please email Anita Chandoke, Corporate Communications, at achandhoke@frost.com.

As fixed prices replace fee-for-service, and price-based costing substitute cost-based pricing, providers must prepare early to garner maximum benefit. Healthcare providers that are clear about cost structures and effectively manage without giving up on quality will gain the competitive edge over contemporaries. Healthier margins mean higher capacity to invest in better doctors and staff, brand building, and equipment. This will enhance the perception, quality and outcomes of hospitals, giving them an even higher strategic ground.

To comply with the new insurance environment and stay profitable when the prices get fixed for various procedures, healthcare providers must:

Immediately deploy costing tools: As base rates and multiples will be assigned on the basis of rates during and before the shadow-billing phase, costing tools can offer clarity on the margins of the procedures being performed and strengthen cost management

Scrutinize and reset processes: Everything from operational flows, supply chain, work force utilization, and equipment maintenance must be scanned to assess obvious and hidden cost drivers for corrective action

Rethink service mix and refresh marketing: As efficiencies in various departments or service lines are streamlined, the service mix may change, compelling fresh marketing efforts and realignment of future plans

Re-engineer budgets: The way budgets are created and revenues and costs allocated will change as the basis for future calculations are altered

Overall, transitioning to IR DRG will require months of careful preparation. As such, market opportunities will emerge around solutions to support hospitals in cost reduction and revenue cycle management.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community.

]]>2017-08-01T10:52:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184159-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Beauty is an object of unstoppable interest of women of all ages around the world. Aside from pretty faces,there has been a rise in the pursuit of healthy and balanced body curves in recent years.Due to genetic differences, the volume of Asian women's breasts, on average, is smaller than those of their Western counterparts. As a result, some Asian women choose to undergo breast augmentation surgery to achieve their ideal body shape.

TL Plastic Surgery Korea

The concerns of the patients who undergo breast surgery are becoming more diversified and extend beyond the size of the breast implants. They are also concerned with postoperative results such as a natural-looking shape, feel and recovery. To yield a satisfactory result, it is essential to select the most suitable implants which reflect the characteristics and the needs of the patient.

In this aspect, the popular Motiva breast implants, have various advantages. Motiva not only is natural in appearance but also has a better touch than other existing implants in the market, making it a highly satisfactory implant for patients undergoing breast surgery for the first time, as well as patients with capsular contracture, and those require another surgerydue to dissatisfaction with their previous results.

Dr. Lim Joong-hyeok of Korea TL Plastic Surgery, who has been performing Motiva breast surgeries since the release of Motiva, says, "Even though it is a good implant, the results are different depending on how you operate." Dr. Lim continued, "You can get better results from breast surgery only when it is performed by determining the shape, size, etc. of the implant, with possible side effects considered and accurately analyzing the physical characteristics of individuals."

Dr. Lim also advised, "It is clear that Motiva is an advantageous implant, but the important thing is that it should be used properly to give good results. If you are planning on undergoing Motiva breast surgery, you must consult with a plastic surgeon with rich experience of breast surgery before going through the surgical procedures."

Dr. Lim Joong-hyeok of Korea TL Plastic Surgery, a plastic surgeon and medical doctor, has been involved in a variety of breast surgeries over the past 20 years and has an extensive amount of clinical results, and has been recognized for his research results on the implants released over the past years.

]]>2017-08-01T09:46:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184147-0.shtmlTAIPEI, Taiwan, Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumosa Therapeutics Co., Ltd., (TPEx: 6535, hereinafter 'Lumosa') is pleased to announce the enrollment of the first subject for the Phase 1 clinical trial of its new drug candidate, LT3001, for acute ischemic stroke. The first human subject was dosed with LT3001 in California, USA on July 28, 2017. The trial is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.

LT3001 is a novel small molecule drug for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. In animal studies, LT3001 can restore blood flow, reduce cerebral infarct volume, and improve neurological outcome in rodent and non-human primate stroke models, in which LT3001 showed an apparent wider therapeutic time window and a better safety profile than those reported for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). Up to 80 healthy volunteers will be enrolled in this double-blind, placebo controlled phase 1 single ascending dose study to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of LT3001, results from the phase 1 study will determine the doses for subsequent clinical studies in stroke patients.

Stroke remains one of the world's major unmet medical needs, with no breakthrough new drugs approved in the past 20 years. Stroke afflicts over 15 million people worldwide each year, of which 87% of cases are ischemic stroke, which occurs as a result of a clot in the vessels supplying blood to the brain. Due to limitation, contraindications, and concerns over its known side effects, currently only around 3-5% of acute ischemic stroke patients receive the first line rtPA treatment. Stroke not only endangers the lives of stroke patients but also imposes the families of the stricken with significant caretaking and financial burden.

Dr. Wendy Huang, CEO of Lumosa indicated "Lumosa and the international stroke communities are counting on LT3001, as it may provide better treatment to stroke patients. In order to come up with a feasible development plan, Lumosa is actively communicating with the stroke supporting groups and has incorporated their valuable advices into trial designs. The enrollment of the first human subject signifies a big step forward in the development of LT3001 for acute ischemic stroke patients. We hope this first clinical trial would confirm the safety of LT3001 in human, as it has already been demonstrated in the animal tests, and permit subsequent clinical trials of LT3001 in stroke patients."

*Lumosa was consecutively selected to present study results on LT3001 at the International Stroke Conference in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In 2015 Lumosa was invited to attend the Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) by its US hosts, the only attendee from the Asia Pacific region invited to attend this prestigious gathering of industry and research notables in the field of stroke research.

About Lumosa

Lumosa Therapeutics, a public traded company in Taipei Exchange (6535.TWO), is dedicated to the development of innovative new drugs for the treatment of neurological and inflammatory diseases of unmet medical needs. The company is actively engaged in scientific in-licensing and new drug development under the "reSEARCH and DEVELOPMENT" model. This model is executed by a highly capable and experienced cross-functional teams of translational research, CMC, preclinical, clinical development, project management, regulatory affairs, intellectual property and business development experts. Current major products in Lumosa's pipeline are Naldebain®, a long long-acting analgesic injection, and LT3001, an NCE for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Naldebain® has received TFDA approval and launched in Taiwan in the Spring of 2017. LT3001 is under phase I clinical trial in the US.

]]>2017-07-31T19:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184101-0.shtmlAssay plays key role in aiding clinicians in the assessment and treatment of sepsis and septic shock

RARITAN, New Jersey, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (Ortho), a global leader of in vitro diagnostics, today announced a strategic relationship with B·R·A·H·M·S GmbH, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., to develop the B·R·A·H·M·S PCT (procalcitonin) assay for use on Ortho's VITROS® Systems.

The B·R·A·H·M·S PCT assay is used in conjunction with other laboratory findings and clinical assessment to aid in several aspects of sepsis management, including early identification of patients at higher risk of progressing to septic shock, identifying when it is safe to discontinue antibiotics and establishing mortality risk in septic patients. The B·R·A·H·M·S PCT assay also plays a critical role in antibiotic stewardship, aiding physicians in decision-making for lower respiratory tract infections. Ortho is currently developing the assay for use on Ortho's VITROS® Immunodiagnostics and Integrated Systems for small-, mid- and high-volume clinical labs around the world.

"Ortho is committed to continued expansion of our menu offerings through both internal R&D programs and key collaboration agreements. Developing the B·R·A·H·M·S PCT assay for use on our VITROS Systems is an example of that commitment, and yet another way we live our purpose of improving and saving lives through diagnostics," said Robert Yates, Ortho's chief operating officer.

Sepsis is a common and frequently fatal medical condition that is the result of the body's inflammatory response to an infection. Early identification and appropriate intervention are crucial for improving sepsis outcomesi. However, early identification can be challenging, due to the non-specific symptoms of sepsis. Measuring PCT levels can help clinicians make early, important treatment decisions that improve patient outcomes. PCT measurement can also reduce inappropriate and unnecessary antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections, thus avoiding the side effects associated with their use, slowing and preventing the emergence of resistant bacteriaii and decreasing health care costs.

"Our strategic agreement with Ortho positions us well to deliver the reliable, safe and standardized B·R·A·H·M·S PCT assay to a broader audience, extending our ability to help our lab customers identify sepsis early enough for effective treatment to take place," said Christophe Fraudeau, vice president and general manager of B·R·A·H·M·S GmbH, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

About TheVITROS® SystemsThe VITROS® Chemistry, Immunodiagnostics and Integrated Systems from Ortho Clinical Diagnostics is a portfolio of products and patented enabling technologies which help clinical laboratories diagnose, monitor and treat disease. VITROS® Products are engineered to help clinical laboratories with organizational, operational and economic challenges.

About Ortho Clinical DiagnosticsOrtho Clinical Diagnostics is a global leader of in vitro diagnostics serving the clinical laboratory and immunohematology communities. Across hospitals, hospital networks, blood banks and labs in more than 120 countries, Ortho's high-quality products and services enable health care professionals to make better-informed treatment decisions. For the immunohematology community, Ortho's blood typing products help ensure every patient receives blood that is safe, the right type and the right unit. Ortho brings sophisticated testing technologies, automation, information management and interpretation tools to clinical laboratories around the world to help them run more efficiently and effectively and improve patient care. Ortho's purpose is to improve and save lives with diagnostics, and it does that by reimagining what's possible. This is what has defined Ortho for more than 75 years, and it's what drives Ortho forward. For more information, visit www.orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com.

]]>2017-07-31T09:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184008-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia Pacific specialist CRO Novotech announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South Korea's SCI-Consortium of Clinical Trial Centers and its representative hospital, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System.

The SCI-Consortium (SCIC) is a network of clinical trial centres comprising four of South Korea's leading hospitals: Yonsei University Health System (Severance Hospital and Gangnam Severance Hospital), The Catholic University of Korea St Mary's Hospital and Inha University Hospital.

The network provides clinical trial access to over 1,500 investigators[1], almost 6,000 hospital beds and more than seven million patients per year[2]. One of the SCIC's key strengths is its clinical trial data system with more than ten million de-identified records. Its vast database provides easy identification of potential eligible patients, allowing much faster clinical trial recruitment. At present, the SCIC has over 30,000 active patients enrolled in clinical studies[1].

Under the terms of the MOU, Severance Hospital as representative of SCIC will provide professional and medical advice to Novotech for clinical trials conducted at the four hospitals; including feasibility, principal investigator selection and assistance with patient recruitment. Novotech will assist in promoting the clinical research capabilities of the SCIC internationally. Both parties have agreed to continue expanding the future scope of the collaboration.

Speaking for the SCIC, Director Prof. Jae Yong Sim from Severance Hospital said, "The SCIC has pooled together resources such as patient databases, investigator networks and expertise, while maximizing the cooperation between university hospitals, research and business development. Key offerings such as our databases not only help to identify patients rapidly, but also allow feasible protocols to be designed[1]. Our MOU with Novotech will help the SCIC to communicate the clinical trial benefits available within our network on a global scale."

Commenting on the MOU, Novotech Executive Director for Asia Operations Dr. Yooni Kim said, "The SCI-Consortium is truly an innovator within its field. The MOU formalises our longstanding relationship with the SCIC and provides access to their impressive network of investigators and de-identified patient database. In return, Novotech will co-promote the SCIC and the strength of its clinical trial offering to our global client base."

"Greater Seoul is the second largest metropolitan city in the world with almost 26 million people. This sheer scale of the hospitals, quality of the infrastructure and technology and concentration of key opinion leaders has created one of the world's most impressive clinical trial destinations," said Novotech CEO Dr. John Moller, "We are continually impressed with the efficiency of the regulatory system and quality of support provided by South Korea's clinical trial institutions. Our MOU with SCIC is another strong example of our commitment to undertaking clinical trials in South Korea."

For more information about the benefits of undertaking a clinical trial in South Korea with Novotech or RFP enquiries, please contact us via www.novotech-cro.com/contact-us-0

]]>2017-07-31T08:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/184001-0.shtmlSHANGHAI, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- STA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (STA) - a WuXi AppTec group company and the leading open-access capability and technology platform for small molecule pharmaceutical development and manufacturing - announces that it has merged with WuXi AppTec's Pharmaceutical Development Services (PDS) division.

The PDS division offers pre-formulation development, formulation development, as well as Clinical Trial Material (CTM) manufacturing, packaging and labeling of oral solid dosage forms including tablets, capsules, sachets and oral solutions/suspensions. PDS also established various enabling technology platforms for low soluble drugs including spray dried dispersion, hot melt extrusion, micro or nano suspension and liquid-filled hard gelatin capsules. Two commercial-scale drug product manufacturing facilities currently under construction are expected to become operational later this year and early next year.

STA Pharmaceutical, after this merger, will provide fully integrated small molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and drug product solutions to global clients, resulting in a seamless Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC) working process. The merger enables STA to advance New Chemical Entities from pre-clinical stage to New Drug Application (NDA) and to market faster and more efficiently for pharma and biotech customers.

This development enhanced STA's end-to-end capabilities as a full-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), and it anticipates rapid growth in clinical trial supply, especially amongst early stage targets, where there are practical benefits in working with one CDMO.

Dr. Minzhang Chen, CEO of STA Pharmaceutical, commented: "STA has been growing rapidly over the last few years. It was a natural progression for the company to add drug product to our API platform in which we are globally renowned."

"The merging of the PDS division into STA is an important step for WuXi," said Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec. "Providing API and drug product services under one STA entity further strengthens WuXi's comprehensive CDMO offering. Ultimately, our platforms advance vital new medicines through the development cycle faster, allowing our global partners to discover and develop better medicines for patients."

About STA

STA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (STA), a WuXi AppTec company, is a leading small molecule pharmaceutical development and manufacturing capability and technology platform company serving the life science industry, with operations in China and the United States. As a premier Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), STA offers our worldwide partners efficient, flexible and high-quality solutions for small molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage forms. For more information, please visit http://www.STApharma.com

About WuXi AppTec

WuXi AppTec is a leading global pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and medical device open-access capability and technology platform company with global operations. As an innovation-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi AppTec provides a broad and integrated portfolio of services to help our worldwide customers and partners shorten the discovery and development time and lower the cost of drug and medical device R&D through cost-effective and efficient solutions. With its industry-leading capabilities such as small molecule R&D and manufacturing, cell therapy and gene therapy R&D and manufacturing, and medical device testing, WuXi platform is enabling nearly 3,000 innovative collaborators from more than 30 countries to bring innovative healthcare products to patients, and to fulfill WuXi's dream that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated." Please visit http://www.wuxiapptec.com

]]>2017-07-31T07:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183998-0.shtmlDUBLIN, Ohio, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Medtronic's Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency business for $6.1 billion. The acquisition was funded with a combination of $4.5 billion in new senior unsecured notes, existing cash and borrowings under our existing credit arrangements.

"This business provides our customers with more product offerings and includes some well-established brands that fit naturally within our portfolio and are complementary to our current medical products business. We know these products and many of the employees well, and have seen that our team members share a common commitment to quality, customer service and the patients who we all ultimately serve," said George Barrett, chairman and CEO of Cardinal Health. "We are extremely excited about welcoming our new colleagues from around the world to Cardinal Health."

The Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency business encompasses 23 product categories across multiple market sites of care, including numerous industry-leading brands, such as Curity, Kendall, Dover, Argyle and Kangaroo – brands used in nearly every U.S. hospital.

The company also previously announced that it expects the acquisition to be accretive to non-GAAP¹ diluted earnings per share from continuing operations by more than $0.21 per share in fiscal 2018, net of incremental annual financing-related interest expense, and includes up to $100 million of inventory step-up costs during the first few quarters following closing. As previously disclosed, the company still expects the acquisition to be accretive to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share by more than $0.55 per share in fiscal 2019, and increasingly accretive thereafter. By the end of fiscal 2020, the company assumes synergies will exceed $150 million.

The Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency business will become part of Cardinal Health's Medical segment, which is led by Don Casey, the segment's chief executive officer. Integration efforts are off to a successful start and it is expected that all integration work and transitions will be completed over the next 18 months.

Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Perella Weinberg Partners LP served as Cardinal Health's financial advisors on this transaction, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Jones Day served as its legal advisors.

Cardinal Health presents non-GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations on a forward-looking basis. The most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measure is diluted earnings per share from continuing operations. Cardinal Health is unable to provide a quantitative reconciliation of this forward-looking non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measure, because Cardinal Health cannot reliably forecast LIFO charges/(credits), restructuring and employee severance, amortization and acquisition-related costs (which Cardinal Health expects to increase significantly as a result of the acquisition of the Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency businesses), impairments and (gain)/loss on disposal of assets and litigation (recoveries)/charges, net, which are difficult to predict and estimate. Please note that the unavailable reconciling items could significantly impact Cardinal Health's future financial results. These items could cause earnings per share and the accretion to earnings per share to differ materially from the company's non-GAAP expectations.

About Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health Inc. is a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospital systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically-proven medical products and pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency. Cardinal Health connects patients, providers, payers, pharmacists and manufacturers for integrated care coordination and better patient management. With the acquisition of Medtronic's Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency business the company will have approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 60 countries. Cardinal Health ranks among the top 15 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/cardinal-health.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements addressing Cardinal Health's plans to acquire Medtronic's Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency businesses and other statements about future expectations, prospects, estimates and other matters that are dependent upon future events or developments. These statements may be identified by words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "will," "should," "could," "would," "project," "continue," "likely," and similar expressions, and include statements reflecting future results, trends or guidance, statements of outlook and expense accruals. These matters are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. These risks and uncertainties include: the ability to retain the acquired businesses' customers and employees, the ability to successfully integrate the acquired businesses into Cardinal Health's operations, and the ability to achieve the expected synergies as well as accretion in earnings; competitive pressures in Cardinal Health's various lines of business; the amount or rate of generic and branded pharmaceutical price appreciation or deflation and the timing of and benefit from generic pharmaceutical introductions; the ability to maintain the benefits from the generic sourcing venture with CVS Health; the risk of non-renewal or a default under one or more key customer or supplier arrangements or changes to the terms of or level of purchases under those arrangements; uncertainties due to government health care reform including proposals to modify or repeal the Affordable Care Act; uncertainties with respect to U.S. tax or trade laws, including proposals relating to a "border adjustment tax" or new import tariffs; changes in the distribution patterns or reimbursement rates for health care products and services; the effects of any investigation or action by any regulatory authority; and changes in foreign currency rates and the cost of commodities such as oil-based resins, cotton, latex and diesel fuel. Cardinal Health is subject to additional risks and uncertainties described in Cardinal Health's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports and exhibits to those reports. This release reflects management's views as of July 31, 2017. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Cardinal Health undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.

]]>2017-07-28T21:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183970-0.shtmlVANCOUVER, Canada, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cost Can be a Major Roadblock in Migraine Therapy

The team from migraine.com conducted a survey in 2016 titled: "Migraine in America" with the goal to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by migraine patients. Over 3,900 people completed the 145-question survey.

The results show that:

Over 36% of the patients spent over $1,000 per year on migraine related treatments.

64% of the patients have avoided therapy because of the cost.

62% of the patients asked their doctors for cheaper prescriptions.

50% of the patients skipped entire dosages to make their prescriptions last longer.

The impact of migraine on one's life can be overwhelming and far-reaching, negatively affecting personal relationships, ability to work or to attend school.

HeadaTerm Principle

HeadaTerm uses none-invasive external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) technology that introduces precise electric impulses from the user's forehead to act on the supratrochlear nerves and reduce the migraine signals transmitted. The device avoids any drug effects, making it appropriate a wide range of users. eTNS has been clinically used for migraine and other conditions for over 40 years and was proven to be safety and effective.

What HeadaTerm contributed is making the therapy affordable - the device is low cost and it reduces the consume of medications. HeadaTerm is particularly helpful for sufferers with frequent migraine. The usage of medications would be reduced and the patient's quality of life to be improved.

The product design is usability-based. Very portable design makes the therapy available at any place any time. LED light and buzzer indicates the status of device and keeps communicating with user. Easy shutter. Attached mirror helps user to position device. Arc-shaped device match easily with forehead.

HeadaTerm has medical level standard. It's CE-certified medical device to prevent and treat primary headache. It is estimated to be approved by FDA and Health Canada by early 2018. The manufacturer, WAT Medical, is certified to the ISO medical standard.

Low Cost Solution

HeadaTerm costs $29.00 per device. One device contains 21 rounds of standard therapies; each therapy lasts 20 minutes. HeadaTerm is designed to be an affordable innovative technology that provides access to a drug-free treatment for primary headaches.

]]>2017-07-28T09:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183898-0.shtmlSHANGHAI, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On 21 July 2017, the Health Philosophy Program of LKK Health Products Group (LKKHPG) was honoured with the Best Employee Experience Awardof the first Employer Branding Creativity Award in Greater China, which recognized LKKHPG's creativity in improving employee health and well-being.

The competition was jointly held by renowned institutions in the industry, including HRoot, a leading human resource media company in China, and Top Employers Institute, a certification company that recognizes excellent employers globally. A total of 312 companies with 633 creative proposals enrolled. Eventually 40 companies including Tencent and Netease stood out from the fierce competition and won 11 respective awards.

LKKHPG's Health Philosophy Program was launched in 2013, and since then has been gradually implemented during the subsequent four years, with the aim of enhancing health awareness of both employees and the general public. The program consists of a variety of inspiring events and activities. Many of them were held once annually, including health camps, hiking (participants could redeem their hiking miles for coupons to purchase tickets on China's high-speed railways) and a photography competition where contestants compete by submitting the best photos depicting healthy dining, healthy living, exercise and positive emotions. With more than 10,000 registrants to date, the program has received unanimous compliment from the judging committee.

Webpage of the Four Habits Photography Competition of LKK Health Products Group

A spokesperson for the program explained, "We hope the program help enable our staff to develop awareness of the importance of health through participation, and encourage more people to join in healthy lifestyle. Many of our colleagues have managed to lose weight and become more energetic through walking 10,000 steps or more daily. In addition, events such as the Four Habits Photography Competition spread positive energy among the general public by means of social media platforms, like Facebook and WeChat. The wining photo received more than 40,000 likes."

LKK Health Products Group, a HK-based corporation, was established by the Lee KumKee Family in 1992. The Group operates diversified businesses in Chinese herbal health products, property investment, Chinese herbs plantation and trading, and venture capital for startups. The trademarks of the Group include "Infinitus", "Tianfangjian", and "Happiness Capital".

New top 50 list ranks LEO Pharma in second position, leading the global pharma industry in commitments to increase access to clinical trials information

The AllTrials audit on clinical trial transparency findings has been published ranking LEO Pharma as leaders in the industry.

LEO Pharma is ranked at number two out of the 50 pharmaceutical companies evaluated. AllTrials is an international campaign that calls for every clinical trial, past and present, to be registered and their results reported. The rankings assess companies' policy commitments on disclosing trial registrations, summary findings of studies, comprehensive clinical study reports (CSRs) and individual patient data (IPD).

As one of the companies in the forefront of data transparency LEO Pharma was early off the mark to globally commit to increased disclosure. Since making this commitment in 2013, LEO Pharma has made its clinical trials results dating back to 1990 available to the public and will share individual patient-level data upon request from qualified third-party researchers. The company's commitment to transparency and patient focus has also evolved with the completion of an innovative project to develop lay summaries for patients and interested parties in easy to understand language.

Commenting on the publication from AllTrials, Katherine Murphy, former CEO of The Patients Association (now Independent Care Consultant) said:

"I very much welcome these audit findings and greater transparency in clinical trials, as well as research and development generally. It is really pleasing to see more information on clinical trials becoming increasingly available in the public domain with companies like LEO Pharma amongst the leaders. The more information that patients and members of the public have will support them to become better placed to make informed decisions and treatment choices."

"The AllTrials rankings are a robust overview which, while grounded in empirical data, casts new light on the attitudes and approaches to transparency across our industry. LEO Pharma welcomes the AllTrials audit and we are delighted to see this positive recognition for our commitment to making our scientific evidence base freely available for scrutiny and study.Having just entered the biologics arena LEO Pharma is at a turning point in our company's history, and we are excited by the promise that our pipeline holds. Maintaining this commitment to openly sharing our vision through timely disclosure of trial information has never been more important to us, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the scientific communityto drive the clinical trial transparency agenda to the next level."&# 160;

For more information on LEO Pharma's commitment to transparency, please see the company's Position on Public Access to Clinical Trials Information at http://www.leo-pharma.com.

About LEO Pharma

LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. By offering care solutions to patients in more than 100 countries globally, the company supports people in managing their skin conditions.

Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, LEO Pharma has devoted decades of research and development to delivering products and solutions to people suffering from skin diseases.

LEO Pharma is globally headquartered in Denmark and employs around 4,800 people worldwide.

]]>2017-07-27T14:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183818-0.shtmlLONDON, July 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LKK Health Products Group (hereinafter referred to as "the Group") is pleased to announce that on 26 July it has entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Land Securities Group plc and Canary Wharf Group plc, through Infinitus Property Investment (Hong Kong) Limited, its wholly owned subsidiary, to acquire a 100% interest in the landmark commercial building at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, known as the "Walkie Talkie", for a total consideration of GBP1.2825 billion (approximately HKD12.8 billion). This is the largest-ever office complex property transaction in the United Kingdom for a stand-alone office building.

LKK Health Products Group Acquires Walkie Talkie in London for GBP1.2825 Billion

LKK Health Products Group Acquires Walkie Talkie in London for GBP1.2825 Billion

A Prominent Location at the Heart of London with Sustainable Rental Returns

20 Fenchurch Street is an iconic building prominently situated in London's financial district, with uninterrupted 360° views across Central London. The property, designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, provides the largest and most valuable floors at the top of the building due to its unique top-heavy shape. The property also features the famous Sky Garden which is one of the most popular and welcome visitor attractions in London.

Completed in 2014, the property is a 37-storey commercial complex providing approximately 713,000 square feet of best-in-class office (671,000 square feet), retail (17,000 square feet) and an ancillary area (25,000 square feet). The property is currently fully let to a number of investment grade tenants with a weighted average unexpired lease term of approximately 13 years.

Excellent Opportunity to Expand the Group's Real Estate Portfolio

The acquisition enables the Group to not only achieve a reasonable return from rental income, but also extend its property portfolio to a major overseas financial center for sustainable and stable capital appreciation. As such, the property will be held by the Group as a long-term investment.

Infinitus Property Investment (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LKK Health Products Group, owns and manages premium office and retail space in the CBD of Guangzhou and Shanghai, China; and Central District, Hong Kong Special Administration Region of China. The total office and retail space to be managed will be over 3.2 million square feet including the new Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza (under construction for completion in 2020).

LKK Health Products Group, a HK-based corporation, was established by the Lee Kum Kee Family in 1992. The Group operates diversified businesses in Chinese herbal health products, property investment, Chinese herbs plantation and trading, and venture capital for startups. The trademarks of the Group include "Infinitus", "Tianfangjian", and "Happiness Capital".

]]>2017-07-26T22:56:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183766-0.shtmlHOUSTON, July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OrthoAccel® Technologies, Inc. announces that its board of directors has named David Josza, an orthodontic and dental industry senior executive with more than 25 years of experience, as CEO effective August 1, 2017. A privately owned medical technology start-up, OrthoAccel recently launched its third-generation vibratory orthodontic device AcceleDent® Optima™ that enables orthodontists to achieve more predictable outcomes. AcceleDent Optima is an FDA-cleared, Class II medical device that is clinically shown in randomized control trials to speed up orthodontic treatment by as much as 50 percent while reducing discomfort by up to 71 percent during treatment.

"OrthoAccel is a market leader in accelerated orthodontic technology and I am delighted to lead the company's next phase of growth and innovation," said Josza. "This is an exciting stage in OrthoAccel's trajectory and, based on the feedback of orthodontists and patients who have experienced the new AcceleDent Optima, there is significant opportunity for growth ahead for this best-in-class treatment technology."

Josza most recently served as corporate vice president and general manager for Zimmer Biomet Dental, a leading global manufacturer of musculoskeletal devices. He joined Zimmer in 2015 when the company acquired his previous firm, Biomet, Inc., and Josza was tapped to lead the complex acquisition integration. Among his accomplishments, he successfully implemented synergistic cost-saving initiatives and cross-selling opportunities that yielded significant profit increases and growth.

Prior to the acquisition, Josza had a 14-year career at Biomet 3i, a global implant and oral reconstructive supplier, most recently serving as vice president of the Americas. As a member of the executive board, he was responsible for developing and delivering the company's annual strategic plan.

Additional accomplishments at Biomet included developing and leading a variety of significant revenue growth initiatives, including capturing the market leader position in Latin America. Another key accomplishment was the commercialization of a new digital product line, with a specialized sales team and a technical service support function that grew incremental revenue by $2 million in its first year.

In addition to his leadership roles at Zimmer and Biomet, Josza's in-depth experience includes previous business development, strategic planning and management responsibilities at Henry Schein, Inc. and Stryker Corporation.

"We are excited to welcome David and recognize that his in-depth experience in dental and medical industries, combined with his many successes as a strategist and business developer, provide an excellent leadership platform for his role at OrthoAccel Technologies," said Brian R. Smith, chairman of OrthoAccel's board of directors and managing director of S3Ventures.

The leader in accelerated orthodontics, OrthoAccel has received numerous business and medical design awards that reflect the company's success in commercializing its patented SoftPulse Technology® for clinical application. AcceleDent has been recognized as the preferred accelerated orthodontic treatment solution by orthodontists participating in surveys conducted by industry journals Orthotown and the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.

For more information about OrthoAccel and the company's innovative orthodontic solutions, visit AcceleDent.com.

About OrthoAccel® Technologies, Inc.OrthoAccel® Technologies, Inc. is a privately owned medical device company engaged in the creation, manufacturing, marketing and sales of innovative solutions that enhance dental care and orthodontic treatment. Among the company's innovations is AcceleDent® Optima™, an FDA-cleared, Class II medical device that employs patented SoftPulse Technology® that is demonstrated to speed up bone remodeling. These safe and gentle vibrations accelerate tooth movement by as much as 50 percent and reduce discomfort associated with orthodontic treatment by up to 71 percent. Leading orthodontists from around the world report increased mechanical efficiency with orthodontic appliances and improved predictability of clinical outcomes with AcceleDent. OrthoAccel, the Leader in Accelerated Orthodontics, is ranked on Deloitte's 2016 Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest growing companies in North America. OrthoAccel is based in Houston, Texas and maintains a global presence through its EMEA office in Essen, Germany. To learn more about OrthoAccel's focus on improving the journey to healthy, beautiful smiles, visit AcceleDent.com.

]]>2017-07-26T09:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183687-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Seegene Inc. (096530.KQ), the world's leading developer of multiplex molecular diagnostics technologies and assays, is to present its unique Seegene Random Access System (the "System") at the 69th AACC Annual Clinical Lab Expo in San Diego, CA, from July 30 to August 3.

The 'Seegene Random Access System' is an innovative solution in molecular diagnostics (MDx), which can provide order-to-report on the same day by simultaneously performing high multiplex real-time PCR testing on a single platform, regardless of specimen type or assays.

The key advantage of MDx over conventional diagnostic methods is the ability to accurately diagnose diseases at their early stages. Rapid, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment is especially critical for a successful treatment of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, acute diarrhea, sepsis or meningitis. However, most existing MDx systems are unable to perform same-day reporting for same day treatment, because clinical laboratories typically perform testing after a sufficient number of specimens are collected. This is because generally, a single instrument cannot perform various types of MDx assays at the same time.

Each type of MDx assays requires different extraction methods, different reagent types, and different PCR conditions, making simultaneous testing on a single instrument impossible. The Seegene Random Access System, which is based on Seegene's 'One Platform' with universal PCR condition and universal extraction protocol, provides a solution to all of these limitations.

Seegene Random Access System is made possible by more than 100 assays that can be tested under an identical, universal PCR condition on a single instrument platform. In addition, the System incorporates a universal nucleic acid extraction protocol which is applicable to all specimen types such as blood, urine, stool, and sputum.

Seegene's proprietary PCR technologies in combination with bioinformatics and IT solutions enable the 'Seegene Random Access System', and allow laboratories to perform same-day testing and reporting.

Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, founder and CEO of Seegene, said: "Despite the fact that MDx testing can provide rapid and precise test results, operational limitations in clinical laboratories such as lab space, instrumentation and human resources have made order-to-report on the same day almost impossible. Unfortunately the benefits of MDx tests do not reach the patients, as it takes several days for the physician to receive the test results. Seegene's 'Random Access System' which overcomes all the operational limitations, makes same-day reporting possible and leads to prompt and personalized treatment. By incorporating same-day diagnosis and treatment, molecular diagnostics will be a breakthrough in achieving on-time customized patient care."

So far, Seegene has successfully launched 12 AllplexTM products and plans to expand its product portfolio to more than 100 products by the end of 2018. Laboratories adopting of the Seegene Random Access System will find themselves utilizing a single instrument system to simultaneously test more than 100 high-multiplex real-time PCR assays covering over 450 targets.

Moving forward, Seegene will introduce the system to hospitals and clinical laboratories around the world, starting from the AACC.

About Seegene

Seegene (096530.KQ) is the world's leading developer of multiplex molecular technologies and multiplex clinical molecular diagnostics (M-MoDx). Seegene's core enabling technologies - DPO™, TOCE™, and MuDT™ - are the foundation for M-MoDx tests that can simultaneously detect multiple targets with high sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. Seegene's products detect multi-pathogens with great reliability and throughput, ultimately providing the most economical basis for saving time, labor and cost. Seegene's mission is to maintain leadership in molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases, genetics, pharmacogenetics, and oncology using innovative proprietary technologies. For more information, please visit www.seegene.com.

]]>2017-07-26T04:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/183671-0.shtmlHONG KONG, July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Cord Blood Corporation (NYSE: CO) ("CCBC" or the "Company"), China's leading provider of cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing, and stem cell storage services, today announced that the Company filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filed Form 20-F includes audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. The Form 20-F can be accessed by visiting the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov and also be found at the Investor Relations section of CCBC's website at http://ir.chinacordbloodcorp.com. CCBC will provide a hard copy of the Annual Report, including a complete set of audited financial statements, free of charge to its shareholders upon request.

About China Cord Blood Corporation

China Cord Blood Corporation is the first and largest umbilical cord blood banking operator in China in terms of geographical coverage and the only cord blood banking operator with multiple licenses. Under current PRC government regulations, only one licensed cord blood banking operator is permitted to operate in each licensed region and no new licenses will be granted before 2020 in addition to the seven licenses authorized as of today. China Cord Blood Corporation provides cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing, and stem cell storage services. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.chinacordbloodcorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, performance and results of operations, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulation, and other risks contained in statements filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.